


Saving Adelinetta

by Lorren



Category: The Young Elites Series - Marie Lu
Genre: Adelina lives - eventually, F/M, Miscarriage, Redemption, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 70,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22249207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorren/pseuds/Lorren
Summary: This is the story of The Rose Society and The Midnight Star and beyond through Magiano's eyes. After the conclusion of The Midnight Star, Magiano hears Compasia's voice. He needs to rescue Adelina from her place among the stars, knowing the sacrifice he'll be asked to make in exchange for her return.
Relationships: Adelina Amouteru/Magiano, Violetta Amouteru/Sergio
Kudos: 18





	1. The Girl of Mensah

Six Years Ago

**The Boy of Mensah**

“It’s my birthday tomorrow,” the Girl of Mensah said.

I looked up and smiled. “What do you want for a present?” Even though my stomach growled at just the thought, I’d steal a peach for her tomorrow if she’d like. We were always starving, and food was something I could give her.

“I think I’d like… a kiss.”

I felt myself blush as I looked at the mortar and pestle in my lap. We had been grinding herbs for the last few hours. We turned the herbs into medicines that the priests would give to the temple visitors. Some people came to the temple to ask the gods for forgiveness of sins. Others come because they want to ask for divine intervention for one ailment or another. For the right offering, they can leave with an herbal remedy of some sort. The Girl and I were grinding up herbs for one of our most popular remedies, which the priests call an aphrodisiac. I don’t know what it means, but the priests tell me it has something to do with grown-up issues.

Even though I was almost a grownup (I was turning twelve soon) the priests wouldn’t tell me what they meant. I guessed I’d find out later.

“Okay,” I finally agreed. “I’ll give you a kiss for your birthday present.”

She bit her lip and looked around. “We should leave. Tonight.” Her voice was hushed. Of course she wouldn’t want any of the priests to hear that.

“Really?” The Girl and I had talked about escaping for years, but we never attempted it. Neither of us had left the temple grounds since we arrived, years ago. My siblings brought me to the temple when I was seven and I don’t even remember what life was like before.

“Yeah. I overheard one of the visitors talking. There’s a little fishing village called Magiano near the Red River. It takes spices to the Ember Isles once a week. We could sneak aboard.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you outside the gates tonight. After midnight, right after the moon rises.” The night would be dim, as one full moon was about a week ago and the other two moons are new moons, but there would be enough light to see by. “When we get to the village, you’ll get your kiss.”

“Deal.” Her brown eyes sparkled.

For the rest of the day, we often snuck conspiratorial glances at one another. We were actually going to do it! No more going to bed hungry, sacrificing goats we couldn’t eat and looking at the offerings with longing, knowing that punishment awaited if the priests caught us stealing. No more wondering what the rest of the world was like. We would be free.

The day sped by, and I didn’t even mind when the priest asked me to muck out the barn, a task I normally dreaded. I pretended to be reluctant, however; I didn’t want things to seem any different than normal. The priests couldn’t find out our plans.

The last time my priest caught me disobeying, she sliced open the skin around my marking with a knife, trying to remove it. It didn’t work, but my back still hurt sometimes. That punishment happened years ago, and the only thing I did was steal food. I couldn’t imagine what she’d do to me and The Girl if she found out we were trying to escape.

Sneaking out of the temple wasn’t as difficult as I imagined it would be. The temple was closed, of course, and the priests were probably already in bed. They were absent as I left the temple, at least. I took my blanket, turned it into a makeshift basket, and stole all the peaches and dates that had been offered to the gods on my way out. I didn’t know if the girl would think about taking food, and we could always share.

Before I reached the gates, a scream pierced the night. The Girl. Something was wrong.

I set down my blanket of bundled fruit and went to go help her. Before I could reach her, I saw what was happening, and there was nothing I could do to change her fate.

The priest had tied her to the altar. She wore her ceremonial robe, and was straining against the bonds, desperate to escape. Did she know this would happen? Is this why she picked tonight to leave?

I watched as the priest slammed a knife into her chest. The blood and the screams made my heart seize. I had helped sacrifice plenty of goats in the five years I had lived here, but that did nothing to prepare me for watching my friend die.

It was after midnight. Her twelfth birthday. Now I realized why the priestess told us that we didn’t need a name. Not because we would be given them later. Because neither of us was meant to live past the age of twelve, the sacred number.

Although I would do anything for The Girl, I was helpless. There was nothing to do but run. I grabbed my blanket of fruit on the way out and ran as fast as I could, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. I prayed to the gods as I ran down the dirt road, while at the same time knowing that leaving the temple could anger them. The priests would look for me as soon as they discovered I was missing, and I had to be as far away as possible when they did.

I reached Magiano shortly before sunrise. Wooden boxes of spices were stacked in a little shed near the dock, smelling delicious and making my stomach rumble. I hid inside, waiting for the boat to arrive while I ate one of my peaches.

A large ship docked. It seemed enormous to me at the time, although now I know there are much larger ships, designed primarily for sailing on the ocean. The sailors began to carry the cargo aboard.

One of the men, tall with a scruffy beard, spotted me. “Boy! What are you doing here?”

I could barely breathe. There goes any hope of sneaking onto the boat. “I–I was hoping you could use help, in exchange for a ride. You won’t find a harder worker than me! I can sweep the decks, cook, whatever you need, and you don’t even need to feed me!” I lift my blanket with my food for emphasis.

He crossed his arm over his chest. “Fine. But you sleep on the deck.”

“Yes, sir!” I jump up and grab my blanket of food.

“What’s your name, boy?”

I didn’t know. Once, I must have had a name. My parents had named me; I was sure of that. When I went to the temple at age seven, the priest told me I didn’t need a name, and I had forgotten it.

“Magiano.”

The man snorted. “Really?”

“Yes. I was born here, and my parents weren’t very creative.” In a way, this was true. While I wasn’t physically born here, leaving this morning was like being reborn.

“Well, then—Magiano—your first task will be to swab the decks once we set sail. The men always leave muddy footprints when they unload the cargo.”

The boat sailed away as the sun rose. It was the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen, with vivid reds and oranges welcoming the warm yellow orb into the sky. It sparkled upon the water. Surely, the red reflecting from the sky was why they called this the Red River.

Swabbing the deck, which I learned was another word for mopping, was a peaceful activity. It gave me time to think about my friend. I would never forget her. The Girl of Mensah had always been so joyful. She wouldn’t want me to cry, even though I wanted to weep for her. Right there, I vowed to always keep joy with me. If I remained joyous, then it would be like she never left me.


	2. The Illusion Worker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano meets an illusion worker and her sister at the Midsummer Feast of Creation.

Present Day

**Magiano**

The Girl would have loved to be here today.

It’s the Midsummer Feast of Creation, where people from all over flock to Merroutas to enjoy vendors, music, and general debauchery. Tomorrow, the more pious sorts will fast during the day for an entire month, but today, I’m making a ton of money.

I’ve been running a little gambling table, which has received quite a lot of onlookers—and profits. That’s not the only reason I’ve been feeling good today. People are genuinely happy. The streets are full of bright colors, skipping children begging their parents for treats, and young couples in love. Even the soldiers have exchanged their heavy armor for less threatening gear. A joyous energy fills the air, and I thrive off it.

Most people know how to play the game I’m running. I place twelve stones under twelve different cups. Each gambler picks three stones and has to guess where they are after I spin the cups around. With my nimble fingers and sleight-of-hand, I can ensure that only people I want to win find the right stones. Right now, Antonio, an assistant I’ve recruited, is helping to make my gambling stand seem legitimate.

Antonio is a malfetto like I am. Malfettos survived the blood fever that went through my town when I was seven, leaving us all with strange markings. Those without markings often look at us with fear or hatred. Antonio is unfortunate in that his mark is more obvious than mine is. An angry black rash covers his ear and cheek.

My marking is much more discreet. My eyes are golden and can narrow like a cat’s, and a scar stretches across my side. The rest of me looks normal, although some people might find my style to be a little eccentric—I have tan skin, wear my hair in several thick braids, and wear flashy clothes that shine. What can I say? I like pretty things.

After recovering from the blood fever, some malfettos discovered they had strange powers. These people, like me, are known as the Young Elites. Although I happen to be a Young Elite, Antonio is not.

Since I’m working, I don’t get to wander around the square and enjoy the festivities. How I’d love to be able to get out among the crowds and dance among the bright silks and try some of the foods from around the world! I’m making a lot of money though, and that brings me joy too.

It’s easy to make cash at a large festival like this. I’ve been in Merroutas for several months. I’ll probably have to move on soon—once the locals figure out I’m scamming them, it’s best to go somewhere else—but today the money is rolling in like it’s falling from the sky.

Antonio helps me by distracting customers and occasionally correctly guessing where the stones are. He can’t really guess where they are, but I make sure he wins on occasion by putting the stones in the right cups myself. In return for winning a round and making my table look legitimate, and not the scam it actually is, I give him a few gold talents.

My heart skips a beat when I see a beautiful girl in the square, wearing colorful Tamouran silks with her hair wrapped in the Tamouran fashion. As I run my game, I keep one eye on her as she peruses the booths with a girl that must be her older sister, who is similarly dressed. When they pass my booth, I approach them in hopes of attracting their attention.

Something about the energy radiating from this pair feels familiar. I can’t exactly place where, but I’ve been around one of them before. I grab the hand of the younger girl, pretend to kiss her hand beneath the dottore mask I’m wearing, and put my hand over my heart, expressing my feelings about her beauty. Her dark eyes are so captivating I could practically drown in them. I invite them to join the game I’m operating.

“Let’s try a round,” the younger girl says quietly to her sister. “I think I sense something.” Under my mask, my eyes arch. It must be her energy I’m sensing. She must be an Elite. I wonder what her power is. I make sure to pay particular attention to them as the onlookers place their bets.

Her sister hands me two gold talents. “For my sister and me,” she says. She picks the pink, orange, and green stones. I nod to her in return.

I spin the cups, keeping an eye on the two sisters from under my mask. Some of the players at the table mock Antonio, but he ignores them. Although my main marking sometimes causes me pain, at least it’s usually covered up. I stop spinning the cups and motion for the players to make their guesses.

"Four, seven, and eight," a young lady with curly blonde hair shouts.

"Two, five, nine," an old man says.

"Three, six, seven!" a young brunette man calls out.

The older sister chooses "one, two, and three," stirring up a smattering of laughter from some of the other players. Antonio picks six, seven, and twelve.

One by one, I lift the cups. The sisters pretend to look disappointed after I pick up the first couple of cups, but I doubt they’re trying to win. They’re interested in Antonio for some reason. When I pick up the sixth cup, I surreptitiously place one of his stones underneath. I do the same thing for the seventh and twelfth cups. His expression brightens. He’s won.

I pretend to be upset as I hand him the purse that had been accumulating for the last hour or two, while Antonio feigns joy. The other players glare at him. Although I had suggested he stay and lose a couple of rounds after he wins, he doesn’t take my advice, walking away immediately.

Several of the other players leave the table to follow him, including the two sisters.

A few players are left at my table, but I feel trouble brewing. I need to make sure I get my money; if it’s stolen from Antonio, I’ll lose an evening’s worth of work. I shake my head, indicating the game is over, quickly shove the stones and cups into a bag, grab my new lute from under the table, and swing it onto my back.

I climb a set of stairs that lead to a nearby rooftop and follow the action from above, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. In addition to having fast fingers, I’m agile as a barn cat. The gamblers catch up to Antonio and push him around.

"Why did you run away?" the blonde asks. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself, cheating us out of all our money."

"Going to hire a dottore to fix your markings?" The brunette man shoves him, causing Antonio to wince.

"Hiring a whore so you can find out what it's like?" a couple of the people around him laugh.

The two Tamouran sisters watch from a distance as Antonio flees down the street, fear flooding his face. The crowd pursues him.

The younger girl says something I don't quite catch.

"Come on," the older girl says, tugging on her sister's arm.

"Don't." Younger sister shoots her sister a warning glance.

"I'll be nice."

"Your idea of nice is different from others'." They chase the group, and I follow.

They disappear, and I arch an eyebrow. They didn't just run off, they _disappeared_.

The crowd continues to chase Antonio and I follow them from the rooftops, forgetting about the girls. I need to get my money back. One of his attackers punches him in the face, knocking him down. He’s dazed and appears to have trouble sitting.

The older sister suddenly appears in the middle of the group.

"What's this?" the young brunette man, who evidently is the leader, exclaims. "Is this your whore, filthy _malfetto_? How did you get so lucky?"

The blonde looks over at her. "She was the other gambler in our circle. She probably helped the boy win."

"Ah, you're right. Do you have other winnings on you, then? Your share, perhaps?"

"Let's just finish this. We got the money already," one of the men in the group says.

The brunette shakes his head. "We are not making a habit of letting people go. Nobody likes a cheat." He narrows his eyes angrily.

The sister's face transforms. Her eyelashes turn silver, and where one of her eyes used to be, an angry scar appears. Under my mask, my eyes widen. She must be the Elite, not her sister. Antonio slowly backs away from the group as it turns its attention on her.

My elite power is mimicry. When I see another Elite use their powers, I can copy the same effect, at least for a short while. I copy her ability to conjure illusions to make myself invisible and climb down from the rooftop. While the man with the money bag is distracted with the illusion worker, I steal my money back. I'll give Antonio his share next time I see him. Remaining invisible, I back away from the group and watch. I want to see what she can do.

The illusion worker creates an image of small bloody snakes. They silently slither along the ground. The snakes multiply until all the cobblestone is covered with them. The crowd around her tenses. I can feel their fear. It feels like an oppressive weight on my heart..

Overhead, the sky darkens into night, even though it’s still early evening. Storm clouds appear out of nowhere. Lightning flashes, illuminating the growing darkness. The ribbons slither on the ground, trailing drops of blood. A man who had been threatening her with a knife suddenly looks at his hand in confusion, as if he lost something. He can't see the knife anymore.

Several of the gamblers flee, while the others back away in fear.

The lines along the ground slither around the group's leader. His face pales as they wind around his body. When they pull tight, he collapses to the ground, screaming in pain. My gut clenches just watching him.

A woman with curly red hair looks to the illusion worker, her eyes flaming with anger. When she tries to run to the girl, the ribbons curl around her legs. She falls to the ground, mouth contorted in agony. A few other people that try to mess with the girl meet the same fate.

The illusion worker narrows her eyes in anger. She walks over to the group's leader, bends down, and whispers something to him, a sinister look on her face. He runs away in fear.

I enter a nearby shop and climb up to the second floor, still invisible. I walk out onto the balcony and sit down, removing my mask of invisibility.

“So much for being nice, eh?” I call down. The two girls look around, trying to find me in the gathering darkness. Once they see me, they whisper something among themselves. The illusion worker's face reknits itself into a normal, whole face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Adelina Amouteru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano realizes he's met one of the two girls before.

I unstrap my lute from my back and play a few notes. Even though I just bought it, I already hate its sound, which feels hollow instead of resonant. I growl, taking my mask off in frustration. This one looks too plain. It was an impulse buy at one of the stalls I saw this morning. Fortunately, I already commissioned an instrument maker to make a better lute, and after today’s gambling haul, I have enough money to pay for it.

I pluck a few more notes and look down at the girls. Even though the instrument isn’t the best in the world, playing music relaxes me. “I've been watching you two make your way through the crowds.” I smile at the younger girl. She is so beautiful. If I was interested in getting involved in a relationship, which I’m not, it would definitely be with a girl that looked like her. “It's impossible not to notice someone like you. The trail of broken hearts left in your wake must be long and fraught with peril. And yet, I'm sure suitors continue to throw themselves at your feet, desperate for a chance to win your affection.”

She frowns at me and acts almost like I insulted her. “I beg your pardon?”

I lean towards her. “You're beautiful.”

Even in the dimming light, I can see her olive skin blush. My smile widens.

“And who are you?” the illusion worker shouts to me.

I lean back and play my instrument, pretending to ignore her. I fill the air with a pleasing sound, humming to myself. My music relaxes people, and these two girls look like they could calm down after what just happened. The older sister especially could cool her temper a bit.

I look at the illusion worker. “As for you,” I say, “How'd you do it?”

She stares at me blankly as I play my instrument. “Do what?”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, for the gods' sakes, stop being so coy. You're obviously an Elite.” I wave my hand in her direction. “So. How'd you do it, with the blood lines and the knife?”

The two girls look at each other, exchanging a wordless message like I’m assuming only close siblings can. I wouldn’t know. “My sister and I have been searching for someone for months.” The illusion worker’s eyes have a suspicious glint in them.

I chuckle. “Is that so? Didn't know my little gambling stand was so popular.”

“We're looking for a Young Elite named Magiano.”

I play a rapid set of scales on my instrument. So they're looking for me. I wonder why. I continue to play, improvising a new song, and get an idea. The illusion worker is putting up some sort of illusion, so I mimic her power, pulling on the threads of energy in the air to project an image of myself playing, while I cloak myself in invisibility and climb from the balcony. When I approach the pair, I steal some of their trinkets. They’re so invested in watching my illusion play the tune I’m making up on the spot that they don’t even notice me. Foolish girls.

After I return to the balcony and unravel my illusion, I stop playing. “Who's Magiano?”

The illusion worker crosses her arms, and the younger sister shakes her head. “Surely you've heard of Magiano,” the younger sister says, rolling her eyes as if I just asked her who the goddess Compasia was.

“If you came here to ask me my opinions about imaginary people, my love, then you're wasting your time. The only Magiano I've ever heard of is a threat mothers use to make their children tell the truth.” I wag my finger, imitating a stern parent. “You know. _If you don't stop lying, Magiano will steal your tongue. If you don't pay proper tribute to the gods on Sapienday, Magiano will devour your pets._ ”

My face twists in revulsion. “That's enough proof, I think. Eating pets is disgusting, and stealing tongues is rude. Who would do such a thing?” I shrug.

The illusion worker regards me carefully. “How do you operate your gambling game and win so frequently?”

“Ah, _that_.” I wave my hand dismissively and go back to playing my lute. After a moment, I stop playing, lean towards them, and hold my hands up, wiggling my fingers. “ _Magic_.” I flash her a wicked grin.

She smiles. “Magiano's tricks, you mean.”

“Is that where that word comes from?” I ask nonchalantly, leaning back. “I didn't know.” My fingers resume plucking the strings on my instrument. “Nothing more than sleights of hand, my love, tricks of the light and a perceptive use of distraction. And, you know, the help of an assistant. He's probably still hiding somewhere, stupid boy, scared out of his wits. I warned him not to run.” I pause my playing for a second. “That's why I'm here talking to you, you know. I wanted to tell you both that I'm grateful you saved my helper, and now I'm going to leave you to enjoy your night. Best of luck to you in finding your Young Elite.”

The illusion worker frowns, then contorts her face. “You're making a very odd face. Did you eat a bad lamb skewer? That happened to me once.” It happened a few weeks ago here in the city, and my stomach gurgles in protest of the memory.

“We were in prison together,” the illusion worker says, her eyes narrowing.

I freeze. I did spend some time in a dungeon a while ago, but how would she know that?

“We were in the same prison. In the city of Dalia, some months ago. You must remember—I know your voice.” A little quieter, she continues. “I was sentenced to burn that day.”

I stare at her. My brain lights up with recognition. The White Wolf. Since I'm often on the wrong side of the law, I keep up-to-date on all the rumors flying around, just to make sure I’m not about to get arrested. A couple months ago, I started hearing rumors about her. I wonder how many of them are true. I heard she was the Prince of Estenzia's lover, but she betrayed and killed him. She was evidently part of a secret society based in some pleasure court. I wonder how much she participated in that. They say she killed her father, and the Inquisition is after her.

“You're Adelina Amouteru,” I mumble to myself. “Yes, yes, of course, of _course_ you are. I should have sensed it.” A sly smile creeps onto my face.

She nods at me.

I think back to the prison. She was in the cell next to mine. Occasionally, I heard her humming to herself. On the day the guards took her to her execution, she created a powerful illusion. I felt the energy from my cell as she did it and mimicked her, making my cell look empty, which caused the guards to accidentally release me.

“You saved my life that day.”

“How?” she asks.

I just smile, imagining the piles of gold I could get if I had her power all the time. I could steal all the money I wanted. A partnership with her would never work though. I wouldn't want to share any of the money with her. How could I convince her to work with me without having to share the loot?

She blushes. I hum to myself, making up a tune. I turn my head away, trying to appear disinterested. In my head, I formulate a plan. “If you are searching for Magiano, you will have better luck finding him in the abandoned bath halls of southern Merroutas, a building once called the Little Baths of Bethesda. Go there tomorrow morning at first light. I've heard he prefers negotiating in private places.” I hold up a finger. “But be warned—he doesn't take orders from anyone. If you want to talk to him, you'll have to give him a good reason.”

I stand and leave the balcony. I need a better lute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't have the entire book finished, but until I get to the part where I've stopped, I should be able to update regularly. Thanks for reading! I hope you like it.


	4. Only the Worthy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelina reveals her plans. Magiano agrees to give her a test.

After I leave Adelina and her sister, I go to the instrument maker's shop and knock on his door. I asked him to make a jewel-encrusted lute for me a few weeks ago.

“Marco,” he says, opening the door. His smile spreads across his wrinkled face when he sees me. I'm sure I'm one of his best customers, because I have extravagant taste. “It's good to see you.”

Marco is what people call me in this city. When you're a notorious thief that’s been rumored to lure people off a cliff with a few notes of your lute playing (not true) or that you've stolen the Kenettran queen's crown jewels (also not true), you don't exactly want to be known by your real name. Or at least the name you've used since you were twelve. I'm sure I had a real name once. I had parents once and I assume they named me, but I barely remember them, and I don't remember what they used to call me either.

"Hello Julian. I assume you finished making my instrument?" I hold up the bag of money I earned today at the gambling stand. The coins rub against each other, singing a chorus of metallic clinks. One of the most beautiful sounds in the world.

"Yes, yes." His claw-like hands grab at the money bag. Julian seems like someone who _would_ eat someone’s pet, but he makes good instruments, which is why I always go to him. He walks into a back room for a few minutes and emerges with my new lute.

My smile widens as I appraise it. It sparkles, even in the dim light. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything that lovely before in my life. It’s so beautiful I want to cry. I hug it to my chest as soon as I have it in my hands.

“Thank you.”

“It’s always a pleasure doing business with you,” Julian says. I'm sure. At least our relationship is mutually beneficial.

After I leave the instrument shop, I go home, change my clothes, and leave for the baths, humming a little tune on my way.

The Little Baths of Bethesda are a set of ruins on the outskirts of Merroutas. It probably used to be beautiful, but a long time ago, the buildings decayed, and people moved to other parts of town. Even though I’m renting an apartment in the city, I spend a lot of time here. It's quiet—and private. The perfect place to reveal my plan. No prying soldiers' eyes around.

Although the place looks dilapidated, with vines climbing up the sides of the crumbling marble walls, moss growing everywhere, and algae clogging the pools, the stone structure still can safely hold a human's weight. I climb onto the rafters and find a comfortable place to sleep for the evening, snuggling into a bed of leaves and moss. I want to be here when they arrive.

The early light shines through a crack in the ruins and shines a sunbeam directly into my eyes, waking me. I sit up and wait for Adelina and her sister. Shortly before they enter the ruins, I sense Adelina's energy, then watch as they come in.

The two girls look around, whispering. They’re wearing different silks than they wore the day before, in more subdued colors. Adelina wears a glittering mask across one side of her face. At the bath's pool, the younger sister turns around slowly. She looks in my direction, but I don't think she can see me, as I'm covered in shadow.

“Magiano,” Adelina calls out. Her voice echoes through the empty ruins. In a quieter voice, she says “we were told we could find you here.”

I study the two for a few moments. The younger girl radiates timidity and looks uncomfortable. Adelina looks right at home, however. Her presence silently shouts through the building.

I laugh. Catlike, I jump up and bound over the wooden beams over their heads, stopping halfway between the outer wall and the two girls.

“Adelina,” I call out. “How nice to see you.”

They look around. “Are you Magiano then? Or are you just taunting us?” Adelina asks.

“Do you remember a comedy called _The Temptation of the Jewel_? The play opened in Kenettra a couple of years ago, to great fanfare, right before the Inquisition banned it.”

_The_ _Temptation of_ _the Jewel_ was a story I inspired after I tried to steal the crown jewels from the queen of Kenettra. Although I didn't succeed, the Inquisition didn't like the play because they knew what it was about. The story isn't an exact rendering of what happened—it’s about an arrogant knight that brags he can steal a jewel from an ogre's lair, only to be beaten by a young boy first—but the inspiration for the tale came from my little adventure.

“Yes, of course I do.” Adelina squints as she looks up into the rafters. She still can't quite pinpoint where I am. “How is this relevant? Are you a Chirsley admirer?”

I laugh and follow the beam until I am right over their heads, kicking down leaves and moss as I walk. I crouch down, looking at Adelina. She can see me now. “It's relevant because I was the inspiration for it.”

Adelina laughs. “You inspired Chirsley's play?” She raises her eyebrows in disbelief.

I sit on the beam, dangling my feet. “The Inquisition banned the play because it was about the theft of the queen's crown jewels.”

The two sisters exchange a skeptical glance.

“Did you inspire the clever boy, then, or the arrogant knight?” There is a teasing note to her question.

I put my hand over my heart. “You wound me, my love.” I shove my hand in my pocket and pull out a ring I stole from Adelina last night. I throw it into the shallow end of the pool. It makes a light splash as it hits the water. “You forgot your ring last night.”

Her eyes follow it into the water, widening in disbelief. She bends down and picks it up.

“Let's see, what else…” I reach into my pocket again and grab a cloth. I throw it in Adelina's sister's direction. It slowly flutters to the ground. “A sash from your dress, my lady.”

“Here's something else of yours.” I throw down a pin from Adelina's head wrap. I shake my head as I throw a few more things out of my pockets. “You two are very forgetful,” I tease, clicking my tongue.

The younger girl glares at me. “I see we've found an upstanding citizen, Adelina,” she mutters.

“Is this supposed to impress us?” Adelina crosses her arms. “A demonstration of cheap street tricks?”

“Silly girl. I know what you're really asking.” I move out of the shadows so they can see me better, then smile at her deviously. “You're asking how I managed to do it. You have no idea, do you?”

I study them closely. Adelina's mask is white with jewels in it. They're not dressed like fugitives from the Inquisition, even though they are. Perhaps Adelina uses her skills to steal like I do. Maybe we're kindred spirits of a sort.

“I admit I don't know how you took our possessions,” she says. “Please. Enlighten us.”

I take out my new lute and play a few notes. It sounds much better than the cheap one I bought at the Midsummer Festival of Creation, I note to myself. In addition to sounding better, I can't help but marvel at how much better this one looks. The strings are gold-plated, the neck is covered with jewels, and the body is covered with diamonds and emeralds. I see them looking at it sparkle in the light. I hold it out for them to appreciate.

“Isn't it amazing?” I say, admiring the instrument. “It's the best lute that a night of gambling can buy.”

“Where do you even get a monstrosity like that?” Adelina blurts out. Her tone is harsh.

I frown, surprised she doesn't like it. Maybe she has horrendous taste. “I think it's pretty.” I hug it to my chest.

“What is your power?” Adelina asks. “All the rumors say you're a Young Elite. Is it true, or are you simply a boy with a talent for theft?”

I grin at her. “And what if I'm not an Elite? Would you be disappointed?”

“Yes.”

I lean back. “All right, I'll enlighten you. You're a worker of illusions, right?”

She nods.

I wave my hand at the ruins around us. “Create something. Anything. Go ahead. Make this broken place beautiful.”

I feel the threads of energy pull as Adelina rapidly transforms the old ruins into a natural wonder. Rolling green hills surround us, with waterfalls a short distance away. Baliras lift boats from the ocean below to the sea above the waterfalls. Storm clouds gather above us, and a gentle breeze blows past. Sea birds call to each other over the roaring sound of churning water. The experience is amazing.

“Again,” I whisper, awestruck. “Make something else.”

She waves away the landscape, plunging us into an ocean near Estenzia, in the middle of the night. The three moons hang near the horizon. The warm water laps against my skin. I can practically taste the salty air.

She clears away that illusion, returning us to the ruins of the pools, which now seem like a disappointment in comparison.

“Your turn,” she says. “Show us your power.”

I bow my head. “Fair enough.”

I imitate her illusion, shining a bright light in their eyes. When the light dims, they see what the bath house must have looked like hundreds of years ago. The broken pillars are repaired, the moss is gone, and the pools sparkle in the light, fragrant pink flower petals floating on the surface. Steam rises from water’s surface, inviting them to take a dip.

Adelina's sister's jaw drops as she looks around. “It's not real.”

I drop the illusion, revealing the crumbling ruins again. “The things I could've done,” I wonder in amazement, shaking my head, “had I known you earlier.”

Adelina’s jaw has dropped. “You have the same power as I do?”

I laugh, jump back onto the beam, and twirl around. “Don't be stupid. No two Elites have the _exact_ same power.”

“Then…”

“I imitate. Whenever I encounter another Elite, and she uses her power, I can briefly glimpse the weave of her energy in the air. Then I copy what I see—if only for a moment.” I grin at her. “This is how you saved my life, and you didn't even know it. When you were in the dungeon cell next to mine, I mimicked you. I tricked my way out of my cell by making the soldiers think my cell was empty. They came over to investigate, and I stepped right out when they opened the door.”

Adelina looks at me, astonished. “You can mimic any Elite?”

I shrug. “When I was lost and penniless in the Sunlands, I mimicked an Elite named the Alchemist, and transformed an entire wagon's worth of silks into gold. When I ran from the Inquisition in Kenettra, I mimicked the Lead Inquisitor's healing abilities in order to protect myself against the arrows his men launched at me. I am the brightly colored fish that pretends to be poisonous. You see?”

Adelina looks at her ring, then over at her sister's sash. “When you stole our things, you used my power against us.”

I turn my attention to my lute, tuning its strings. “Why yes. I replaced your ring with an illusion of it, slipped it off while convincing you that I was just idling on the balcony.”

Adelina's sister's eyes grow wide. “That means, around the right people, you can do anything.”

I give her a mock expression of shock, placing a hand over my heart. “Well now, I do believe you're right.” I put my lute back on my back, walk over to one of the columns, and slide down to a lower beam.

“Now then,” I say, facing the girls, “we have been introduced to each other and gotten all our pleasantries out of the way. Tell me, what do you want?”

“My sister and I are running from the Inquisition,” Adelina says. “We are heading south now, out of their reach, until we can gather enough allies to return to Kenettra and strike back.”

“Ah. You want revenge against the Inquisition.” I nod with understanding.

“Yes.”

“You and the rest of us,” I snort. “Why? Because they imprisoned you? Because they're horrible? If that's the case, then you're better off leaving them alone. Trust me. You're free now. Why go back?” I want as little to do with the Inquisition as possible.

“Have you heard the latest news from Estenzia?” she asks. “About Queen Giulietta? And her brother's—” she pauses.

I nod. “Yes. That news spread rather quickly.” _And so did the rumor that you had something to do with Prince Enzo's death, and that you were involved with him_. I decline to mention that.

“Have you also heard that Master Teren Santoro is planning to annihilate all _malfettos_ in Kenettra? He is the queen's pet—she will give him the power to do it.”

This I have also heard. My friends at the docks told me. I pull my braids over one shoulder. “So, what you're trying to say is that you want to stop Teren's ruthless little campaign. And you are trying to gather a team of Young Elites to help you do this.”

“Yes. And you are the Elite we hear about the most.”

I smile proudly. “You flatter me, my love.” I look at her sorrowfully and shake my head. “But flattery won't be enough, I'm afraid. I work alone. I'm quite happy right where I am, and I have no interest in joining a noble cause. You've wasted your time on me.”

She looks disappointed. “Why do you work alone?”

“Because I don't like to share my spoils.”

Adelina frowns. Her sister mumbles something to her.

Whatever her sister said to her causes her to smile smugly. “If you are the most notorious thief in the world,” Adelina says, “and you are so good at what you do, then how did you get captured by the Inquisition?”

She has a point. I would have been alright, however, if I hadn't pushed my luck. My jaw tenses in irritation even thinking about it. “They got lucky.” I spit.

“Or maybe you were careless? Or are you exaggerating your talents?” Adelina arches her eyebrows, mocking me.

I roll my eyes. “If you must know, I was in Dahlia to steal a chest of rare sapphires that had arrived from Dumar as a present for the duke. And the only reason the Inquisition caught me is that I went back from one more sapphire than I should have.” I think back on that beautiful gem fondly. It was enormous. Very beautiful. I lift up my hands, indicating its size. “In my defense, it was a very heavy sapphire.”

Adelina looks at me oddly for a moment, then she smiles sweetly. “Kenettra's royal treasury holds a thousand times the sapphires you tried to steal in Dalia. You and I both know this. You managed to steal the crown jewels once before—now imagine all the gold behind that crown.”

I imagine myself having that much gold. Having enough gold coins that I could roll around in in a pile of them. Nice dream, but not very realistic. “You tell me this as if I've never considered stealing the entire Kenettran royal treasury.” Of course I've thought about it. I've had dreams about it, in fact. Lovely dreams I loathe to wake up from.

“Then why haven't you done it yet?”

I shake my head. “You are so naïve. Do you have any idea how many guards watch over that gold? How many locations it's scattered across? What a fool attempt it would be for anyone to think he could take it all? And here I thought for a moment that you had some magical idea to take it too.” I snort.

“I do,” she replies.

Although I laugh, she intrigues me. What kind of an idea is she proposing? “Then please, Adelina, share it.” I wave my hand. “You really think the entire Kenettran royal treasury can be yours?”

“ _Ours,_ ” she smiles at me. “If you join us, you would never need to scramble for gold again.”

She's probably out of her mind. “Now I know you're lying to me. What—are you planning to cloak yourself in illusions and sneak into the treasury to take one armful of gold at a time? Do you know how many lifetimes that would take you, even if you made dozens of trips a night? And even if you _could_ steal all that gold, how does one even begin to transport it out of the country? Out of Estenzia, even?” The more I think about it, the more preposterous it sounds. I turn around and start to walk away. This isn’t worth my time.

“I never said anything about _stealing_ it,” she shouts.

I turn back around. “Then how do you plan to take it all, my love?”

She smiles. “Simple. We take away the throne from Queen Giulietta and the Inquisition Axis. Then the Kenettran royal treasury becomes ours by right.”

I laugh so hard it hurts the marking on my back. The idea is so preposterous, I can't help myself.

“If you join us, and we take the Queen of Kenettra's throne, then _malfettos_ will have a ruler like themselves. We can stop Teren's thirst for our blood. You can have more gold than you ever dreamed of. You can have a thousand diamond-encrusted lutes. You would be able to buy your own island and castle. You'd be remembered as a king.”

I wave my hand at her dismissively. “I don't want to be a king. Too many responsibilities.” _I would like to have all that gold though._

“You don't need to be responsible for anything. Help me win the crown and save the country, and you can have everything you've ever desired.” I can feel passion flare in her energy as I look at her, see the wild imaginings in her uncovered eye.

I look at her, pondering. What would it be like to have all that money? My gaze wanders to her mask, and I frown. “Take it off.”

She shakes her head at me.

“Take off your mask,” I repeat. “I do not judge a _malfetto_ 's markings, Adelina, nor do I work with someone who hides her face from me.”

She sighs, then reluctantly takes off her mask. Behind her mask, she is missing an eye. It is scarred over and looks like an old burn wound. I step forward in order to look at her more closely.

I slowly smile at her, then lift part of the side of my shirt, revealing part of my scar, the wound that doesn't always completely heal.

Her eyes meet mine for a moment. “Please,” she says softly. “I don't know what happened to you in your past, or what your full marking looks like. But if the promise of gold doesn't entice you enough, then think of the millions of other _malfettos_ in Kenettra, all of whom will die in the next few months if no one saves them. You are a thief, so perhaps you have your own code of honor. Is there a place in your heart where you would mourn for the deaths of all who are like us?” There is desperation in her voice.

I think back to when I was a child. When I was seven, I got the blood fever and my parents died, leaving me an orphan. I was taken to live in the temple, where the priests abused me. That sort of treatment shouldn’t be allowed to continue.

Then I think of The Girl. My only friend for years. How she was brutally sacrificed to the gods. After I left the Temple of Mensah and took a job on the ship I sailed away on, I’d sometimes lie awake on my rack at night and think about her. Sometimes I still think about her and wonder what she’d be like today if she had survived. If we would have fallen in love.

“It's just a rumor, you know.” My voice softens. “The story about the queen's crown jewels.”

“The crown jewels?”

“Yes. The Kenettran queen's crown jewels. I never stole them. I _tried_ to—but couldn't manage it.”

“Yet you still want them,” she replies.

“What can I say?” I shrug. “It's a weakness.”

“So, what will you do? Will you join us?”

“How do I know that you'll keep your promise, if I do help you get what you want?”

She leans towards me. “Are you going to spend the rest of your life stealing a handful of jewels at a time and running gambling stands in Merroutas? You said yourself, you wonder what you could have done if you'd known me earlier. Well, here's your chance.”

I smile at her. “The girl who would be queen. The gods play interesting games.”

“This is no game.”

I recall how she helped me escape from the dungeon. The way my heart galloped as I scrambled up the stone steps into freedom. “I do owe you a life debt. And that's something I never play games with.”

I consider her offer for a second. I’m still not sure that this can work. The risk is too great, and I'm not sure this is something we would be capable of, even with our powers.

“If you want to take on the Inquisition, you will need a whole host of people at your back. And if you want people at your back, you need to build a reputation. I don't follow anyone until I'm convinced that they're worth following.”

She places her hands on her hips. “What can we do to convince you?”

I smile at her deviously. “Beat me in a race.”

“A race?” She raises her eyebrows.

“A little game between us. I'll even give you a head start.” I flash her a naughty smile. “A man called the Night King rules this city. He has many soldiers, as well as a secret army of ten thousand mercenaries scattered throughout the island. You may have seen his men patrolling the streets, with moon-and-crown emblems on their sleeves.”

She crosses her arms. “I have.”

“He is the most feared man in Merroutas. They say that every time he uncovers a traitor in his ranks, he skins that man alive and has the skin sewn into his cloak.”

She shivers. “What does that have to do with us?”

“Tomorrow morning, I am going to gain access to his estate to rob him of the prized diamond pin he always wears on his collar. If _you_ can steal it before I can… then I will join you.” I bow to her. “I only work with the worthy. And I just want to make sure you understand the risks of this mission.”

Adelina bites her lip. Her sister stands there silently.

I shrug. “You're too afraid.”

I can tell she's still contemplating my challenge, even if she thinks it's a risky idea. Taking on the entire Inquisition would be even more risky, however.

“I'm only giving you this chance, by the way,” I add, “because you helped me escape the Inquisition Tower.”

“How generous,” she notes dryly.

I laugh. “A deal then?” I hold my hand out towards her.

“A deal.” She takes my hand. It’s soft and smooth against my skin, although her ring finger is crooked. I noticed it when I relieved it of her ring last night, but didn’t have much time to think about it. I wonder how that happened. Her scars are a mystery.

“Good. Then you have my word.”

“I better let you two get started.” I look over at her sister. In focusing on Adelina and what she could do, I almost forgot about her. “What did you say that your name was, again?”

“Violetta.” She looks down at the floor before looking back up at me.

“Nice to meet you as well. I'll see you both later.” I give them a quick wave, then climb up one of the beams and skip out of the building. If I'm going to get that diamond pin, I’m going to have to make some preparations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	5. The Night King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano and Adelina race to steal the Night King's diamond pin.

I hum to myself as I leave the Little Baths of Bethesda. So the White Wolf wants to team up with me. I might be able to use that to my benefit. I'm not sure about that noble quest she wants to go on, but if it worked out, it could be very profitable. We'll see soon whether or not a partnership with Adelina could go anywhere. If her powers aren't impressive enough to do anything with the Night King, then maybe she'll give up on this foolish endeavor. Maybe we could make a profit together here, in Merroutas.

Rumors about the White Wolf began to emerge a couple months ago, shortly after I escaped from prison. People have been talking about her ever since. I don't know if she killed the prince, like they say, or if she did some of the other things they say about her. People have been talking about me for years, and a lot of what they say about me isn't true either.

I stop by the docks on the way to my apartment to find out the latest news. My friend Sergio is unloading some cargo.

“Marco!” he calls. “Nice to see you!”

“Nice to see you too. What's going on?” Sergio picks up a wooden crate. I pick up another and follow him down the pier.

“We captured this ship last night. The Night King should be pleased with this cargo.” Sergio is a pirate of sorts. He's an Elite who has the power to create storms. “Other than that, there have been quite a few _malfetto_ refugees from Kenettra. The Lead Inquisitor over there is clamping down hard. He’s practically starving them. We had to turn away a few stowaways from our docks lately, but most of the refugees are headed to Beldain.”

I nod. Even though I can pass as someone that doesn't have markings, I'm still glad I left Kenettra. The thought of going back, like Adelina wants to do, is crazy. “I guess we won't be vacationing there any time soon, will we?”

Sergio shakes his head. “No, I don't think so. I also heard word that there is a new queen in Beldain. Princess Maeve is now Queen Maeve. I don't know how that will affect trade, but she's very accommodating to _malfettos_. While I sympathize with their plight, I don't exactly want thousands of homeless people on this island, you know?”

“Yes.” The Night King has become more hostile towards _malfettos_ lately. More refugees would make things more difficult here.

I set down my crate next to the others they’re unloading and hum a couple measures. “Well, I better let you get back to your work. I have some work of my own to do, so I'll see you around.” I wave to him cheerfully as I continue towards my apartment.

You can go just about anywhere if you look like you belong. That’s how I've managed to become a confidant of the Night King. After I arrived here, I started taking some of my earnings and buying conservative outfits suitable for the local nobility. I prefer clothes that stand out a little, like what I'm wearing now—a colorful tunic with gold leaves—made from actual gold—sewn onto it, but it's too flashy to blend in with the other nobility. I started buying—and sometimes stealing—silks that are more appropriate. Then I started going to the Night King's parties.

At first, I didn't talk to the Night King. I dressed like I belonged and walked past the guards like I owned the place. As I mingled with the other guests and talked to the dancers, I made sure the Night King saw me. Eventually, he thought I belonged there too. Now, I end up chatting with him at most of his parties, at least for a while. As a reward, I usually walk out with some gold or jewels I manage to purloin from the real noblemen. Tonight, I’m taking his gorgeous diamond pin.

It can take hours to prepare for these parties. Not only do I have to dress the part, but I also need to style my hair so it looks right. I pile them neatly on the top of my head, instead of letting them hang freely like I prefer. It takes a good part of my afternoon to adorn myself so I look the part of a wealthy nobleman.

By evening, I'm ready to head up the hill to the Night King's palace, where his party is being held. Several people are already milling about. A line of girls hoping to be admitted as dancers is part of the crowd, as usual. I pass them, and the guards inspecting them, giving a cursory nod to the guards as I walk by. They look at me with disinterest.

Upon entering the party, I admire the decorations. It is a hot evening, and the party is dimly lit with lanterns. Fireflies dance in the air, adding to the ambiance. I mingle with some of the other guests and grab a couple dates from a gold tray held by a passing servant.

The Night King is surrounded by a couple soldiers and dancers. He is wearing fine silks, a slim crown, and of course, his large diamond pendant. The one I plan to steal tonight. I nod to him and he waves me over.

“My friend!” he calls out as I approach him. “How are you this evening?”

I bow to him slightly. “I am doing well. What a lovely evening. We have some fine dancers tonight.”

The Night King laughs heartily. “Yes, that we do. The finest in Merroutas.”

I look around to see if Adelina and Violetta have arrived yet. So far, I don't see them. I don't know how Adelina will get in tonight, but I doubt she’ll wait until tomorrow. If she’s as ambitious as I think she is, she’ll make her move tonight.

A nearby servant walks by with glasses of wine in crystal goblets, and I grab one. When I look up, I see Adelina and her sister approaching, dressed like the other dancers. _Ah. There you are, my love_.

The Night King smiles as he motions to them to come sit. “A night with the prettiest dancers in Merroutas,” he says. “Midsummer is kind to us. What are your names, my beauties?”

Violetta smiles shyly at him, while I notice Adelina blushing. I smile to myself.

“No _malfettos_ dirtying your estate,” I remark, inwardly laughing about how he is in the midst of three of them. “It's getting harder, sir. Have you heard the news coming out of Kenettra?”

The Night King looks at me and smiles. “What is the new royalty doing there?”

“The Lead Inquisitor of Kenettra has handed down a decree, sir. All _malfettos_ have already been removed from within the capital and set up in shelters outside the city walls.”

“And what's to happen to them?” the Night King asks, offering Adelina and her sister a platter of dates. He admires the pair as they take a snack. I can't help but admiring them as well. They are both beautiful tonight.

“Death, I'm sure. We've been turning away ships with _malfetto_ stowaways.”

“The Lead Inquisitor,” the Night King murmurs, “The queen seems to be giving him quite a lot of power, isn't she?”

I nod. “Well, you must know he's always in her bed. He has been infatuated with her since he was a little boy.” This was more gossip that I know from talking to Sergio and some of my other friends with contacts down there.

The Night King laughs as I take another drink of wine. “Well, congratulations to him on a royal conquest.”

I look over at Adelina. Her smile seems forced. She seems very uncomfortable. I can tell that she's listening to our conversation with interest, however.

She looks at me, and I can sense her recognition. _Beating me in our little race won't be as easy as you think_ _, my love_.

“This dancer is new to the city, my friend,” I say to the Night King, gesturing to Adelina. I put my arm around him, as if we've known each other our whole lives. “I've seen her before. She's very good—she is court-trained, I hear.”

Adelina’s blush deepens.

“Is that so?” the Night King remarks. “Perhaps you can show us.”

Adelina looks over to her sister and stands up. She starts to dance, swirling in time to the rhythm of the drums. I watch her hips move in time to the beat. Her movements are hypnotizing. Seductive.

“Court-trained,” I murmur. I can't take my eyes off her. _I want her_. My heart pounds hard against the walls of my chest with desire.

_Don't be stupid_ , I think. You just met her yesterday. Besides, I have a job to do. I need to get the Night King's pin.

“Amazing, isn't she?” I whisper to the Night King, removing his pin as he's distracted. He applauds as Adelina finishes her dance. _You may be beautiful tonight, but you lose_.

Adelina bows slightly. “Magnificent!” The Night King exclaims. “Where in the city do you live, my beauty? I would like to see you again.”

“We are very new sir, and I know very little about you,” she replies.

He pulls her closer. “What do you want to know? I am one of the richest men in the world. Aren't I, my friend?” He looks over at me. I nod.

“The Night King is no ordinary nobleman, my love,” I tell her. “He sits on a pile of wealth and power that anyone would kill to have.”

He grins at me. “Kenettra loves to trade with us. We enjoy her spoils more than anyone. Do you know how I earn that kind of trust in my power?” He puts his arm around Adelina. “I'll tell you how. The world's deadliest mercenaries always choose the most powerful to serve, and they choose to serve _me_. My city teems with them. So, if you ever want to see me, my dear, just whisper it into anyone's ear on the streets. Word will get back to me. And I will send for you.”

I begin to feel a little drunk. _It's an illusion_. “Ah, my beauty, I seem to have drunk too freely tonight,” the Night King says.

Adelina kisses him on the cheek. “Perhaps you need to rest, my Lord,” she says, standing up.

The Night King grabs her wrist. He’s quicker than I’d expect. “You do not leave until I say so. I hope my soldiers told you the rules within this courtyard.”

Violetta whispers something to him. The Night King laughs. “So,” he says, putting his arms around both of their waists. “A pair of adventurous sisters. Where did you say you were from, again?” He starts to lead them away from myself and the other group of nobles I am with. I wonder what they’re up to.

I back away from the group. Now that I have my treasure and the Night King is distracted, it's time to leave. Before I pass the palace walls, I spot the treasure room. Looking around and realizing that nobody is looking, I grab a few small bags of gold and tuck them under my tunic, which has pockets sewn into the insides for just such an occasion.

There’s a commotion back in the garden. The Night King shouts, and others around him join in the shouting. I sigh, remembering the illusions Adelina conjured up the night before towards the people that were harassing Antonio. They might need some assistance.

All the guards in the area are rushing to the garden to assist the Night King. I spot a rope used to keep the dancers in line as they seek entrance into the estate. I pull on it, just to make sure it’s sturdy. It feels strong enough. I grab the rope, coil it around my arm, and run back to the wall surrounding the garden. It's easy enough to hear from the outside where all the commotion is coming from.

There are ornamental posts around the wall about every five feet. I loop the rope around one of these posts and climb to the top. Looking down, I see the Night King, impaled with his sword. Adelina is looking at the soldiers. “I can give you more than he ever did,” she tells them.

But not right now. I whistle to the two girls and they look up. I throw them one end of the rope. Adelina throws her arms over her face as the rope hits her.

“You're helping us?” Violetta calls.

“ _Help_ is a strong word for what I'm doing,” I shout, jumping back over the wall. I hold on to the end of the rope on my side and feel a tug on the other end. I pull on my side of the rope, helping them climb. Violetta bounds over the wall first. They’re disoriented after they jump to the bottom, rolling a couple times in the grass before standing back up.

We run as soldiers chase after us. Adelina's power to create illusions has already weakened. Arrows whiz past our heads. One almost hits me in the shoulder.

I throw up illusions as we run. A brick wall. Dense fog. I cloak the girls in invisibility. I whistle and lead them through a maze of alleyways. I know this city much better than they do. As I run past an apartment that has left some of their laundry hanging out to dry, I grab a silk veil. I might as well disguise myself.

After a while, I notice I've lost the girls. I turn around and retrace my steps. They’re having a heated conversation.

“You still won't have to dirty _your_ hands with blood” Adelina says to her sister, crossing her arms over her chest.

They turn as they notice my presence in the alleyway.

“You came back,” Adelina whispers.

I approach Adelina and lean into her. “Okay. Why did you do that?”

“Because he was charging at us with a sword.”

“But—” I throw my hands up, exasperated. “You were doing just _fine_. You could have run away. That was the other option, you know, aside from murder. You should consider it sometime, because it works splendidly.”

“Did you even make sure that you got your diamond pin?” Adelina asks. I smirk, but then look up at Violetta, who’s holding it up.

I scrunch my brows in confusion. I'm _sure_ I grabbed the pin from the Night King earlier. How did _Violetta_ get it? I reach into my pockets and it’s not there. How?

“We win,” Adelina says.

“You have not told me of all your powers,” I say, noticing Violetta pulling at the threads of energy around us. I try to mimic her, but can't. “You took my power away,” I whisper, astonished. “No wonder I couldn't sense your illusions during your dance. You tricked me.”

“Only for a moment,” Violetta whispers. “I can't hold it back for long.”

The corners of my mouth turn up in a smile. I’m impressed. “You tricked me.”

Adelina looks tired. She leans against the wall. I study her quietly, pondering what just happened.

“The Night King has ruled here for decades. I don't think you understand the true weight of what you've done.” I lift my veil so I can see them better. “Or perhaps you do understand. By morning, every person in Merroutas will have heard your name. They will wonder and whisper over the White Wolf. They will fear you.” I shake my head, amazed at what they just accomplished. “You may have just earned yourself an army of mercenaries.”

Violetta gives me the diamond pin. “Take it. You're the one who wanted it.”

I take it from her and turn it over, admiring it. It sparkles, even in the dim light.

“Why did you come back to help us?” Adelina asks. “Does that mean…”

I lean against the wall and cover my face again with the veil. “Do you know how much more notorious I could have been if you were always close enough for me to mimic your power? Do you know what I could do, if we traveled together? And your sister, with her ability to take away an Elite's power?” I look at Violetta, pondering her unique ability. She looks uncomfortable. “Very interesting,” I muse. “Very interesting, indeed.”

Maybe this noble cause of hers isn't so crazy after all. If she can kill a king, maybe she can take down the Inquisition. Maybe I will be the richest person in the world someday, with the entire Kenettran treasury at my disposal. The thought makes me a little dizzy.

“Are you going to join us?” Adelina asks.

I hold out my hand to her. “It's a deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Just want to let you know where I am with this book. I've written the first draft to 30 chapters. There are probably 10 to 15 chapters I still need to write. I expect the completed book will end up being close to 100,000 words, although I'm not 100% sure. I already know how the story will end and have a good idea of several of the events that I haven't written (and there's already some foreshadowing of them in here). Although this story follows Magiano's journey through many scenes you're probably already familiar with, the ending you know isn't the end of this story.


	6. The Double-Edged Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano, Adelina and Violetta escape Merroutas.

After our adventure, we return to the Little Baths of Bethesda. It's too dangerous to stay in town. Fortunately, the night is warm. Adelina and Violetta curl up together at the edge of the pool, while I find a place to rest on a bed of moss a few yards away. I drift off to sleep to the sound of crickets.

I wake when dawn’s early light filters through the leaves overhead and get up to check on the gossip in the city. My first stop is the port, where I run into Sergio.

“They're closing the ports,” Sergio says, eyes glittering with excitement. “I'm sure you've heard about the Night King.”

I nod. “Yes, I know a little something about that.”

“All the guards are trying to find the White Wolf” he says. “If they catch her, she's dead.” He leans into me and whispers, “Some of us are looking for her because we want to follow her.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Would you be one of them?”

Sergio shrugs. “For the right price, I might. I’m a mercenary. My services go to the highest bidder, after all.”

I reach into my pockets. The bags of gold I grabbed from the Night King are still in there. I pull them out and show them to him. “Would this be enough to get her out of the city?”

His eyes widen at the sight of the gold. “I think so.” He shakes his head. “Marco, sometimes you amaze me.”

I shrug. “About that,” I add, “Marco isn't my real name. Most people that have heard of me know me as Magiano.”

“I should have guessed.” He looks around. “Do you happen to know where we might find the White Wolf?”

“I'll bring her to you, if you can get her off the island.”

“Will do. Wait here a moment.”

Sergio walks down the pier and grabs a sheet of parchment out of a chest. He writes something on the parchment and rolls it up. “Give this to her. It’ll let her know we’re waiting for her.”

“Okay,” I nod. “Oh, I'm bringing her sister too. She's an Elite who can take away power from other Elites. She might also be useful to work with.”

“Even better.”

I wave to him and head back to the Little Baths of Bethesda. Along the way, I stop by my apartment and grab my new lute, my gold, and some silk to cover most of my face with. I pass a tailor's booth along the way and pick up some clothes for the girls and myself. The silks I wore last night aren't practical for a voyage by sea.

Everywhere I go, people are whispering about the Night King's demise, and about the White Wolf. I hum to myself softly, joyful at the thought. About halfway to my destination, a light rain falls.

On the outskirts of the city, I pass by farms with horses grazing in the fields. I break out my lute and play a few notes. Ever since I acquired (okay, stole) my first lute after escaping from the temple before my twelfth birthday, I've had a gift for music. It calms people. It has the same effect on animals. I call a couple horses over and they follow me. I won't need to borrow them for very long, but they can help us get to the docks.

By the time I arrive at the baths with the horses, I’m soaked. I tie them to a column and climb through a side entrance that had sunken partly into the ground. When I come into the baths, I balance on a beam above the floor, rustling leaves as I go. I jump down to join the girls. Violetta is still asleep.

“We need to get you out of Merroutas,” I say. Violetta stirs. “Do you know what a mess you've made of this city?”

“What's happening?” Adelina asks.

I grin, shaking the water from my hair. “A _wonderful_ mess, that's what! The White Wolf's name is on everyone's lips, and rumors of what happened at the Night King's court have spread like fire. Everyone wants to know who managed to kill him.” I smile at Adelina for a second. “Not a bad start, my love, although considering that you're now the most hunted person on the island, you might want to escape. Your stunts have forced the city to seal its port. As you can see, we may have some trouble getting out of here.”

The two sisters exchange glances. Adelina looks back at me. “Have you heard anything from the Night King's former mercenaries?”

I remove the cloth that was hiding my face. “I'm sure you've earned yourself some enemies after last night. But you've also attracted admirers. Look.” I pull Sergio's scroll out of my pocket and throw it to Adelina.

She turns it over in her hands. “Where did you get this?”

“You don't think I have connections in this city?” I toss her an annoyed look. She doesn't look convinced. I roll my eyes. “A friend of mine works down at the ports. He passed it along to me this morning.” I wave at her, encouraging her to open the message.

She opens the scroll and reads it. I already know what it says: “WW. I have a ship.”

She examines the paper more closely, looking confused. Violetta looks at me. “But this is useless,” she says. “What ship? Where? When?”

I grab the message from Adelina. “Not useless. Hold the paper up to the light.”

I hand the paper to Violetta. She holds the paper up, moving it around until it falls under a beam of light. Adelina moves closer to her so she can inspect the paper as well.

“The _Double-Edged Sword_ ,” I tell them. “That's the name of the ship. It's a narrow devil of a caravel—it actually _looks_ like a sword, if you squint at it properly. A part of the Night King's private fleet.”

I can practically see the cogs turning in their minds. “It could be a trap,” Violetta says. “How do we know that they don't plan on getting Adelina aboard, only to kill her or drag her before the Night King's loyal men?”

“We don't,” I reply. But I doubt my friend Sergio would betray me. I toss the clothes I bought this morning to them. “But we don't really have a choice. You both must realize that his loyal mercenaries and soldiers are combing the city right now. Merroutas is a small island. They _will_ find you, if you don't flee.”

Adelina looks disappointed. “If we leave now, how will interested mercenaries find us? How will I round up my men?”

I cross my arms. “You'll figure something out. Send a dove by sea. Now, get ready. Think and move at the same time, my loves. I didn't choose to come along just to get captured. Can you at least cover us in invisibility while we head to the docks?”

“No,” Adelina replies, shaking her head. Her face looks pale, almost like she was coming down with the flu.

“Fine. Whatever you can do. Even a song and dance would be better than nothing.” A smile slowly spreads across my face as I remember how sensual she looked last night. “And I've seen you dance, my love.” I try to shake away the thought. There's no time to think about that now. We have to get out of here.

Adelina blushes and looks away from me. Violetta gives me a puzzled look.

“Subtle disguises,” Adelina says after a moment. “I'll weave different features across our faces.”

I laugh at Adelina's obvious embarrassment, but decline to say anything else. A part of me wants her to like me. Instead, I motion for them to hurry. I duck behind a large pillar to change my own clothes into something more practical.

As we leave the baths, the sky is blue with a smattering of fluffy clouds floating by. It’s a gorgeous day. Violetta gives me an odd look when she sees the horses (I tell her we're just borrowing them), but she gets on one with her sister anyway. They ride a few paces ahead of me.

When we near the city, we approach a mob of confused people. They've all heard of the Night King's demise by now and are uncertain about what will happen next. A few people are shouting at groups of _malfettos_ ; of course, none of the people they are yelling at are Elites, but that doesn't stop them from being the victims of mistreatment. Others are praising the Young Elites and their power.

I look up at the Night King’s banners waving on the rooftops, fluttering with their familiar blue-and-silver colors emblazoned with a moon and crown. Adelina is looking at me. I tilt my head in the direction of the banners. “I don't know about those colors,” I smile slyly. “Don't you agree?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Make your mark, Adelina,” I suggest.

She looks confused for a second, then her eyes light up with understanding. A moment later, I feel her energy working. Overhead, the Night King's banners transform into banners that shift from white to black and silver.

I grin. They look great, but even more important than that, the crowd appears startled. They start whispering the name of the White Wolf.

We ride on for a while until we reach a blockade. A guard looks at us and gives us an apologetic look. “I'm sorry, mistress,” he says looking to Adelina, “you'll have to go back. You can't pass through here.”

I point at Adelina's banners, trying to appear irritated and confused. “What's going on?”

The guard shakes his head. “I’m afraid that's all I can say. Please turn around.” He turns to the rest of the crowd. “Turn around!”

I mutter under my breath and steer the two girls away from him. “There is always another door,” I whisper to them quietly, quoting a line from _The Thief Who Stole the Stars_ , one of my favorite plays. After _The Temptation of the Jewel_ , of course.

We turn down a side street until we arrive at a canal. I dismount from my horse and help the girls do the same. I pat the horses on their rumps and they wander off, presumably back to where I took them from. Despite the Night King’s death yesterday, the canal is full of merchants bringing their wares through the city. I flag down a passing boatman who is carrying some cargo down the waterway.

“Would you take us to the docks?” I ask, flashing him a few gold coins.

He nods, and I help the girls into the boat. Adelina looks worse than she did earlier. I frown, then turn and stare ahead of us, looking for any potential dangers or other things I need to be aware of.

Behind me, Adelina's energy shifts. “Go away,” she hisses. I turn my head. She is looking in my direction.

“I beg your pardon?” She's not looking _at_ me; she's looking _through_ me. As if she's looking at something outside of the boat.

“It's just an illusion,” she whispers, shaking her head as if trying to shake something out of her brain. Her eyes widen and her face whitens in horror. She covers her face and screams, then rushes to the side of the boat. I try to grab her as she jumps into the water, but it’s too late. Water splashes into the boat, which tips precariously to one side.

The people around the canal turn their heads and stare. _Can't worry about that now_. I lean over the side of the boat and reach for Adelina, seizing her arm. Violetta rushes to join me. Together, we pull her back into the boat.

After she’s back on board, I notice people milling about on the street, including a few soldiers. They're all staring in our direction.

I wave to them. “She's fine!” I shout, trying to act nonchalant. “Just afraid of dragonflies. I know. I worry for her too.” Most of them probably don’t believe me, but they grow bored and turn away anyway. There are more important issues going on in the city today.

The situation annoys me though. In order to get Adelina to stop panicking, Violetta had to take her powers away, and in the process, she ended up dropping the disguises over our faces. The boatman frowns. He wants us off his boat.

He steers his gondola to the edge of the canal. It bumps against the pier with a thud.

“Get off!” he says. “You three are more trouble than you’re worth.”

I'm irritated at the man, so I pocket his purse as I brush by him. Satisfied that we're now even, I cheerfully wave to him as we get off the boat.

After the boatman leaves, I hold up his purse. “If he's going to be rude about it, he might as well pay.” Adelina looks at me with admiration.

Down the canal, I notice the boatman talking to one of the soldiers we encountered earlier. He points in our direction. The soldier looks our way.

Not good news. I grab Violetta's hand. “Follow me.”

We run, zigzagging through the streets. I look back at Adelina. “An illusion would be really helpful right now,” I say, irritated.

I can tell she's trying, but nothing happens. She shakes her head.

“And here I thought you were powerful,” I spit.

She's trying enough, however, that I can sense enough of her energy to mimic her. I create a duplicate image of ourselves, running in the opposite direction. Most of the soldiers follow our images.

I can't keep up the illusion for long, but it's enough. We're running quickly now, but I can tell that Violetta, at least, is getting tired. She gasps for breath.

We can see the harbor from here. “Keep going straight until you hit the piers. Hide when you get there. I'll find you.” I know which ship they're headed towards and can find it on my own.

“Stay with us!” Adelina shouts as I run into the crowd. “You don't need to be a noble—”

“Don't flatter yourself!” I shout. “You'd better wait for me.” I run into a corner of the square and jump on a fence at the edge of a canal. I take my lute out and play an angry tune. Some of the crowd looks at me.

“Wooo!” I shout manically, shaking my braids. “You'll never be able to get me, you crooked-nosed knaves!” Soldiers rush towards me. I shoulder my lute and run along the fence, balancing with cat-like agility. When I reach a nearby building, I climb onto the roof and run along the top, losing the soldiers in a maze of alleys and side streets.

I head towards _The Double-Edged Sword_. By the time I see it, they’ve already hauled in the lines and are underway. I pick up the pace, running to the water's edge at full speed and jumping into the water when I reach the edge of the dock. Fortunately, ships crawl like turtles when they first pull away from a pier. I swim as hard as I can to the edge of the ship, where a rope floats limply alongside the boat. I climb up the rope and over the bow.

Sergio approaches me as I board the ship. My braids are soaked, and I shake out excess water in my hair like a wet dog coming in from the rain.

“Good to see you again, Marc—Magiano.”

“I made it just in time, I see.”

The two sisters are huddled together on the deck. Sergio and I walk to them and help them up. Adelina eyes me suspiciously. I shrug.

“Relax, my love. If I wanted to make a quick coin by selling you to someone, I wouldn't have surrounded myself with people who don't stand a chance against you.” Sergio glares at me, and I hold up my hands. “I meant, you are all _fantastic_ mercenaries. You just aren't—well, these are the two that I told you about. Trust me, you're interested in them because of how dangerous they are.”

“You've brought a hell of a lot of trouble down on us,” Sergio says, his eyes flashing with anger. “I thought you were going to sneak them into the harbor, not bring the entire army down on us.”

I shrug. “Plans. They're fickle things. You _are_ a mercenary for the Night King, yes? You _do_ know how to get us out of this, right? Are we even on the right ship? Because—”

Sergio shakes his head as he leaves, ordering his fellow mercenaries around. I feel him use his energy to create storm clouds in the harbor. The sky quickly morphs from a beautiful blue to one covered with heavy dark clouds. I mimic his energy to help him intensify the storm that's about to drop.

A raindrop falls on my nose. Soon, more raindrops join that one, and the brewing storm intensifies into a heavy icy rain. Sergio yells at me to get the girls under cover.

“Happy to oblige!” I mumble, grabbing the girls and pulling up a tarp for them to take shelter under. I then run back to help Sergio and the rest of the crew secure the ship's rigging. The wind is picking up, making everything more difficult.

I keep an eye on the ships in the harbor. Most of them decide against chasing us, but one ventures out to sea. It’s faster than our vessel. Sergio focuses his energy so a bolt of lightning hits the pursuing ship, catching it on fire. Their crew screams as the ship is slowly consumed, first by the fire, and then as it sinks into the water.

We're on our way. What adventure awaits us next, I have no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments are always appreciated.


	7. No Turning Back Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sea Voyage to Campagnia.

Sergio needs help getting everything below decks, so I lend him a hand while the captain shows the girls to their cabin.

“So, where did you run into those two?” Sergio asks as we each grab a crate. The icy rain is pelting down, soaking through my clothes. The deck is slippery, but I’ve spent enough time at sea that I’m used to it.

“They were looking for me,” I reply. “Adelina, the White Wolf, is trying to gather some allies. She has some ambitious plans.”

He arches an eyebrow at me. “Oh, really? Think she can live up to what she says she can do?”

I shrug. “I saw her with the Night King last night. Ran him through with his own sword. She’s powerful. At the very least, she seems to be worth following.”

“What about her sister? What do you know about her?” When we reach the cargo hold, we drop off our crates and start heading back up the ladder to grab more.

“She’s quiet. So far, she's the one Elite I can't mimic, since she takes _away_ power from other Elites. She took away my power last night without me realizing it. Hiding behind that quiet exterior, she’s sneaky.”

“She's cute.”

I laugh. “Yeah. The first thing I said to her when we met was that she was beautiful.”

Sergio looks at me curiously. “Are you interested in her then?”

“Who, Violetta?”

Sergio nods.

“No. She's not really my type,” I shrug. “A little dull for my taste. Nice enough though, if you like the quiet type.”

By the time we finish our work, I'm soaked and shivering. My braids are soggy with rainwater. Sergio takes me to the girls' cabin to see how they’re doing. As we approach the door, it sounds like they might be arguing inside. I knock on the door.

“Come in,” Violetta says.

I open the door a crack. “Am I interrupting? It sounded a bit tense in here.”

“We're fine,” Adelina snaps.

I cast her a doubtful look, but open the door anyway. Sergio and I enter the room. My hair drips water onto the floor. I squeeze some of the excess water from my hair.

“Hello,” Sergio nods. “That was almost more effort than you're all worth. The ports are a mess today. Word has it that the new Beldish queen arrived in Kenettra today too. A great deal of water traffic is being diverted here to Merroutas.” He looks over at me and raises an eyebrow. “So, thank you for adding to the madness.”

He looks back at the girls. “We may have some explaining to do when we reach port again. I guarantee you word about the Night King's death will have spread to Kenettra by then, and the Inquisitors will be checking every ship that docks today.”

“I'm sorry for the trouble,” Adelina says, looking down. “Thank you for your help.”

“Never thank a mercenary,” Sergio replies. He looks at me. “I was paid.”

I shrug. “You didn't really think I stopped by the Night King's court to only steal a single diamond pin, did you? I picked up some bags of gold on my way out.”

Sergio crosses his arms. “Sergio.”

“Adelina.”

Violetta smiles at my friend. “Violetta. The sister.”

Sergio laughs quietly. “No need for humility,” he says, smiling. “Magiano mentioned your power.” Violetta's cheeks turn pink.

I nod at Sergio. “You must be one of the Night King's former men. Yes?”

“Yes. I was one of his mercenaries. You've heard the stories, I presume. Ten thousand of us, so they say, although we really number closer to five hundred. We just manage to give an impression of many men.”

“Why are you helping us?” Adelina asks.

“No point in serving a dead man, is there? I'm sure several of his men are fighting over his vacancy right now, although I've no interest in ruling an island.” He looks over at me. “He tells us you are the White Wolf, and you're looking for allies. Is it true that you ran the Night King through with his own sword?”

Adelina pauses a moment and creates an illusion of Sergio in front of us. “Yes.”

Sergio studies her for a moment. “I'm not the only mercenary on board,” he says. “A dozen others among the crew are as well. Some of them even think you are ruling Merroutas right now.” He pauses for a moment. “The Night King kept us in decent coin, though. What can you pay?”

A small smirk plays at the corners of my mouth. _Nothing yet_ , I think. _But oh, what potential_!

“Ten times what he gave you,” Adelina replies, straightening her posture to appear taller. “You've seen what I can do. I think you can guess at how powerful I can make my followers, how much I will reward them for their loyalty.”

Sergio whistles quietly, then looks at me. “You never told me she was rich.”

I shrug. “I forgot.”

“And you think her words carry weight?”

“ _I'm_ following her, aren't I?”

A hint of a smile plays on his lips. “So you are.”

“You're an Elite too, aren't you?” Adelina asks.

“Perhaps.”

“You create storms.”

Sergio smiles proudly. “I do. It's proven useful enough to the Night King, stealing from stray vessels and in turn destroying pirates that try to take from him. Still, storms require time to begin and end. We'll have rough seas tonight.”

Adelina gives him an odd look. “I've heard of you.”

He snorts. “I doubt that.”

“I used to work for the Daggers too.”

Sergio shudders. I can tell he doesn't like the subject for some reason.

Adelina narrows her eye for a moment. “You're the boy who could not control the rain.”

Sergio gives her an odd look. “Raffaele talked about me?”

“Yes, once.”

“Why?” Sergio's face transforms. He seems angry.

“He mentioned you as a warning for me to master my power. I thought they killed you.”

Sergio turns away to look at the storm through the porthole. The room is quiet for an uncomfortably long time. “Well, I'm here,” he finally replies. “So you thought wrong.” He never mentioned his former involvement with the Daggers before, but if it ended badly, I don't blame him for not doing so.

Adelina looks downward. She gets a hurt expression on her face.

“Raffaele wanted me dead, you know,” she mutters, after another moment of silence. “In the beginning. He cast me out after… Enzo's death. I came here to Merroutas in search of other Elites, to put together a team of my own. I want to strike back at the Inquisition for all that they've put us through. We could be a team that far outpaces the Daggers. And together we can succeed.”

“Are you saying you want to seize the throne?” Sergio asks, arching an eyebrow at her.

“I told you that I could pay ten times what the Night King paid you. Well, this is my proposal. The Kenettran crown's treasuries would make the Night King's pale in comparison.”

Sergio looks at her skeptically. “The Kenettran crown is guarded by the Inquisition.”

“And I killed the Night King with his own sword.”

Sergio tilts his head. He's pondering the idea, just like I had. If we succeed, the amount of wealth would be more than I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

“I'll think about it,” he replies after a long moment of silence.

Maybe I should be a pirate. _Arrrr!_ I'm having a magnificent time out at sea, sitting up in the crow's nest, gambling with my new friend Demetrius. The sun is out, the wind is blowing through my hair, and if I were a pirate, we'd be overtaking other people's ships and stealing their booty. We're not playing the part of a pirate today, however; we're going to land in Campagnia, because we'd have too much trouble if we tried to land in Estenzia, especially after killing the prince, then killing the Night King. It kind of makes the Inquisition upset.

“Caw, caw!” I call out joyfully. We're playing a dice game and I'm winning. Of course, if I wasn't winning, I'd cheat anyway. “Make that _twenty_ gold talents then!” I shout, upping my bet. Demetrius shakes his head, frowning. He must not be much of a gambler.

“Guess I better find someone else to gamble with,” I mumble to myself.

Demetrius picks up his dice and stands up. He points behind the ship. I look to where he's pointing. “Looks like we've got trouble approaching,” he says.

“Ship astern!” I yell at Sergio, who is on the deck. I grab the rope attached to the crow’s nest and slide down to the deck, sustaining a little rope burn on my hands in the process. No worries. I should put a cloth over my hand next time I try that, though.

Sergio is standing next to Violetta and Adelina, who is giving me an odd look. “An Inquisition ship,” I say. “Looks like they're heading straight for us.”

“You saw the Inquisition's flag on them?” Adelina asks incredulously. “But we're a completely common-looking ship.”

“We're also the only ship passing the bay right now.” I look across the water; the Inquisition ship is gaining on us rapidly. “Why would they care if a cargo ship's making its way to Campagnia's port?”

“Teren may be expanding his operations into Kenettra's other cities,” Violetta surmises. She gives her sister a questioning look. She's probably wondering the same thing that I am. _Will Adelina have another hallucination?_

“Do you think they're going to board us?” Adelina asks.

I point to the ship, which is now almost right behind us. “It's a small team, but they're going to steer us into the port. And then they're going to inspect every nook and cranny of this ship.” I frown. “If I'd known you were going to cause this much trouble in the first three days since our little agreement, I would've left you to the Night King without a second glance.”

“Good,” Adelina retorts. “I'll remember that the next time I see you in danger.”

I laugh. “You're charming.” I grab her wrist and indicate to Violetta to follow me. “It looks like we're stuck together now, aren't we? I recommend we hide.”

We climb below the deck. One of the sailors tells us to go down to the bottom of the ship. Three more floors down. The belly of the ship is full of crates. I point to a closet and indicate for them to hide in it.

“Stay quiet,” I whisper after the girls get into the closet. I look at Violetta. “Keep a lid on your sister's power. It'd be in all of our best interests for it not to careen out of control like it did in Merroutas.”

“She's going to be fine,” Violetta tells me. “She knows how to control herself.”

_Sure_ , I think sarcastically. Still, there's nothing that I can do about that anymore. I close the door to the closet and return to the main deck.

Sergio is talking to the guards, who have now boarded. “May I be of assistance?” I ask.

“They want to inspect our vessel,” Sergio says.

“Fine, we have nothing to hide,” I say cheerfully. “Would you like to me to give you a tour of the ship?”

They nod. Sergio and I walk them around the main deck. “As you can see, this is the main deck. Not much to see here. Just a bunch of ropes, a bunch of sailors.”

They’re not very interested in the main deck, although they do examine the sailors. We take them below decks and show them the crew's cabins and the galley. They spend some time looking into closets and under the racks. Then they direct me to take them down the ladder again.

I chat with them idly as I show them the next deck; Sergio doesn't say much. “I just absolutely love Campagnia,” I say. “It's such a beautiful city. And why, last time I was in Campagnia, I fell in love with your wines. Do you know I've never been drunker? I—”

The Inquisitor holds up his hand, stopping me. “When did you leave Merroutas?”

"A week ago."

“A lie, boy. No ship takes a week to reach our shores from Merroutas.”

Sergio frowns. “We docked in Dumor first, to drop off some cargo.”

“I see no Dumorian stamps on your ship. You left Merroutas recently, I wager. Well, some new laws have come into effect here in Campagnia. The Inquisition deems all arriving ships subject to search. _Malfettos_ from other countries are no longer allowed in this city, you see.” The Inquisitor examines me closely. Fortunately, I generally have control over whether or not my eyes form cat-like slits, and they are normal-looking at the moment. “So if anyone in your crew is a _malfetto_ , I recommend that you tell us now.”

“We have none that I can think of, sir,” Sergio replies.

“And you wouldn't happen to have any stowaways?”

“You're welcome to search,” I say cheerfully. “Malfettos—a pile of trouble, aren't they? I still count us lucky that we'd already left Merroutas by the time the incidents down at the pier happened. You heard about that by now, haven't you?”

“Anyone else on board this ship?” the Inquisitor asks, turning towards Sergio. “Is the entire crew here?”

“All accounted for, sir,” Sergio answers. “Supplies are on the lowest deck.”

The soldiers mutter among themselves as we take them to the cargo hold. They look around the room, peeking behind boxes and looking anywhere a person could potentially hide. When the Inquisitor opens the door to the closet, I have my fingers crossed that Adelina has her illusions up.

He must not see them, because after looking in the closet for a second, he turns around.

“You're searching the wrong ship,” I say with a touch of frostiness in my voice. “How do I know this?” I reach into my pocket and take out the Night King's pin. “Do you see the crest engraved on the side of this beauty? This is the Night King's very own emblem. We are a crew of his protected fleet from Merroutas, and none are more aggrieved than us by news of his death. But even in death, he is a wealthier and more powerful man than any of you could ever hope to be. If you dare kill one of our crew, just in the futile hopes of finding a fugitive that's probably making his way as far as Kenettra as possible, I can guarantee you that you will be answering to your Lead Inquisitor and your queen.”

I look from the main Inquisitor to the other soldiers and back. They don’t seem amused. “After all, think for a moment, if your mind is capable of that. Why would a fugitive who fled Kenettra hide on board a ship that's now trying to dock _back_ in Kenettra?” I exaggerate my arms in a shrug.

The soldiers are still looking around. One of the guards flashes a knife, and the next thing I know, he is holding it up to Sergio's throat. Sergio escapes from his grip and pulls out a knife of his own. I sigh and grab my own dagger.

“A good story,” the main Inquisitor says, “but we have a description of the ship that the Night King's soldiers believe their fugitives sailed away on. It is undoubtedly yours. Congratulations.” He starts to shout. “Show your face, illusion worker, or some up here may start losing their heads.”

The Inquisitor stands in front of the closet, draws a blade and bumps into someone. Violetta grunts as she is pushed to the back of the closet. He slashes his blade into the closet. Suddenly, he stops attacking. He drops his sword and falls to his knees, obviously in excruciating pain. Adelina drops her invisibility illusion and the rest of the guards gasp.

Violetta grabs the sword the Inquisitor dropped and holds it up to his neck. She is shaking, but I mentally applaud her for her bravery.

The rest of the Inquisitors drop to their knees in pain and scream.

Sergio rushes to attack a nearby soldier who is trying to attack him. I bend down to tie up the Inquisitors writhing in pain on the ground.

After I ensure the guards aren't going anywhere, I climb up the ladders to the main deck. I untie their ship from ours and set it adrift.

When Sergio comes back up with the girls, I address Adelina. “We will continue to sail into harbor,” I tell her, “and leave the Inquisition's ship to drift at sea. By the time anyone onshore figures out that something has gone wrong, we'll have long dispersed into the city.”

“What about the Inquisitors tied up below?” Violetta asks.

I look over at Sergio for instructions. He looks at Adelina. “Yes, what should we do about them?” he asks. “No matter what, we'll undoubtedly bring the Inquisition's wrath down on us. They'll hunt us relentlessly.”

Adelina walks over to the ladder and stares down into the dark. She seems to contemplate whether to offer them mercy or not. At first, I think she’ll show leniency. Then her expression darkens.

She looks at me. “I'm not afraid of the Inquisition,” she says, then turns to Sergio. “Tell your men to kill them. Make it quick and clean.”

We stand there silently. Violetta looks towards the ground.

“Let the youngest one live,” Adelina adds. “When the Inquisition finds him, he can tell them who did this, and how I made them feel.”

I focus on her for a moment, not sure what to think. I've complained about the Inquisition for years. Occasionally, I've thought about how I wanted to lash out at them and pay them back—for how they treat other _malfettos_ , for how they treated me when I was in prison, and even for how they harass people in general. Many other people talk about how they want to do something to the Inquisition, but nobody has ever been bold enough to do anything about it.

On the other hand, I’m concerned about how ruthless Adelina can be. She doesn't have to kill them. They've already suffered, and word about what she can do _will_ get out. I can see how someone would want to be unmerciful to the Inquisition—they never show kindness to us—but part of me thinks that would be the better way.

I sigh and leave the group to watch the ship approach the harbor from the bow.

When the ship pulls up to the harbor, I join the others. I watch as the crew places the gangplank down so we can exit the ship.

As we walk down the gangplank onto land, I gaze at the crowds of people. The main street teems with groups of Inquisitors, white cloaks billowing behind them. “This is exactly why I left this forsaken country in the first place,” I mutter to Adelina. “Damn Inquisition, always swarming about.” I look at the two sisters. “Come on. And keep your face disguised.”

We weave through the crowd as I scan the crowd for signs of trouble. We won't be able to stay in the city for very long; soon, they’ll discover the dead men below decks.

Behind me, I hear Violetta make a sound to get our attention. She exchanges a few words with her sister that I can't hear. They're staring at someone down the street. I don't know who they're looking at, but I can feel their energy. We're not the only Elites in Campagnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	8. Raising the Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive in Campagnia, discover the Dagger's plans, and create the Rose Society.

“That girl,” Adelina murmurs. She's looking at a girl wearing a green traveling cloak, petting a stray dog. “She's one of the Daggers. I know it.”

I look at her skeptically. “Are you sure?” What would the Daggers be doing in Campagnia?

“Adelina's right,” Sergio says. The girl is now talking to one of the sailors from our ship. The dog trails behind her. “That's the Star Thief.”

“If they're here, I want to know what they're up to,” Adelina says, moving in her direction. We follow her.

“We'll trail her,” Sergio adds. “I'd like to see what those Daggers are up to here.” He looks at Adelina, expectantly.

“Yes,” Adelina nods in reply. Sergio and some of the other mercenaries disperse into the crowd.

“Count me as curious too,” I say. I weave my way through the crowd of people. I have a talent for slipping into places without being noticed.

The Star Thief winds her way through the cobblestone streets, and I follow from a distance, turning aside to feign interest in a vendor's wares here and there, so I look like anybody else in the crowd. She heads up a hill, where the crowds thin out to just a pedestrian here and there. On the top of the hill is a wooden building that looks like a tavern, but she doesn't head inside. Instead, she goes around to the back.

The building has a faded wooden sign hanging near the entrance with a picture of a ship on it. “The Valiant Galleon” it reads. I go inside.

The tavern itself is dimly lit, with a smattering of people sitting together at various tables. I order a wine from the barkeeper and scope the place out. There's balcony near the back entrance. Pretending to be an ordinary bar patron, I take a seat out on the balcony, although I'm really paying attention to the conversation outside.

They are talking when I sit down. “Giulietta would never hold an audience with us and risk her life,” the Star Thief says, “Trust your queen, Lucent—Maeve knows what she's doing. Giulietta will be forced to dine with her and celebrate her arrival, which should give Raffaele time to deliver what he wants to say.”

They must be talking about the new Beldish queen that was visiting Kenettra.

“Maeve will act in three nights' time,” the Star Thief adds. “That's when the festivities will end in a night of raucous performances. It will help to hide what we're doing.”

She's piqued my interest now. What are the Daggers doing with the queen of Beldain?

“She will make her way to the arena at midnight,” the girl that the Star Thief addressed as Lucent says. “She needs to be in the exact place where he died. During the process, she will be entirely defenseless. We have to make sure she is safe and untouched.”

“We'll ensure it,” some men with them reply.

“And Raffaele must be there, yes?” another man in the group asks.

The Star Thief nods. “Yes. The dead cannot exist in this world on their own. Enzo must be bound to someone in order to have the strength to live again. Maeve already has her brother bound to her. She will bind Enzo to Raffaele.”

So Maeve must be the Elite that could bring the dead back to life. I've heard rumors of such an Elite, but I thought they might be just that. They want to bring Enzo back. I wonder what Adelina will think of that. Didn't she kill him? How would it affect her plans to get the throne?

I finish my glass of wine and call over a serving girl for another, keeping up my act of being a patron of this bar. The wines in this city are excellent; I wasn't lying to the guard on the boat about that. A bald boy among the group shakes his head and looks at the Star Thief. “I don't understand. Raffaele never informed me of this. Why are we bringing him back?”

She pats him on the shoulder. “You are a new Dagger,” she answers. “You'll be brought up to speed soon enough. Kenettra lost a leader when Prince Enzo died at the hands of the Lead Inquisitor. Maeve had counted on him to be the one to bring trade and prosperity flowing again between our two nations. When she brought her little brother back from the Underworld, he returned with strength unheard of in mortal men. If she can also bring back Enzo—an Elite—he may return with his powers strengthened in ways we cannot even fathom. She can place him back on the throne, where he belongs, as her Kenettran ambassador.”

So the Lead Inquisitor killed Prince Enzo, not Adelina, which is what I heard. You can never be too sure of the rumors you hear. She'll be happy to hear that her prince is coming back. I wonder if she'll need us any more, if she can just sweet-talk her way back into Enzo's life and get power that way. I wonder if that's the direction she wants to go in.

“But—I have seen the queen's brother. He is not of the living. Will the same not happen to Prince Enzo?” the bald boy asks.

The Star Thief sighs. “We don't know. Perhaps. Perhaps not, he is an Elite. The queen has never brought back anyone else, aside from her brother. But he will walk the world again, with Raffaele at his side.”

Lucent turns to the bald boy. “Leo, we need to get Enzo out of the city once he returns. None of us have any idea how he will be—not even Maeve. He may not have his powers at all, or he may be exactly as he used to be. Regardless, he will cause a scene. Maeve said that her brother's revival caused a whirlpool in the lake where he'd—” Lucent pauses. A hint of sadness flashes across her face. “—where he'd originally drowned. Then he was bedridden for a week. Do you think you know your power well enough to distract the Inquisitors at one of the gates?”

“I think so,” Leo replies. “My poison is temporary, but it will last long enough to weaken them.”

“Maeve will be weak as well,” the Star Thief says. She looks around to everyone in the group. “You need to get her to safety as quickly as possible.”

One of the men in the group steps forward. I can feel his energy as a flash of light radiates from his palm. “We are the queen's personal Elites,” the man says. “We know how to protect her. Just handle your prince.”

“And her navy?” Lucent asks.

“They will arrive soon. Mark my words—it will be a massive siege.”

“We'll be ready for you then,” the Star Thief says, shaking his hand.

They say their farewells and depart.

The Star Thief walks along the side of the building, as if she noticed something suspicious. I can feel Adelina's energy, so I know she's hiding somewhere down below. Hopefully I won't have to act. She looks around, but evidently doesn't see anything of interest.

A horn blasts from the direction of port. It blows three times; they must have discovered the dead bodies at the bottom of our ship. We need to get out of the city soon.

I finish my glass of wine, making sure none of the Daggers are returning before getting up. I leave my payment on the table and jump to the ground below, close to where Adelina's energy is coming from. There appears to be nobody around.

I turn towards her energy, and she unravels her invisibility illusion. Her eyelids are drooping, shoulders are slumped, and her skin looks paler than normal. At the other end of the alley, Violetta and Sergio approach.

I grab Adelina by the hand and help her up. “I hope you heard everything I heard,” I say.

She starts to sway on her feet. I put my arm around her, holding her up. “Hey,” I whisper. “I've got you.” She grabs onto my shirt in an attempt to steady herself. I can feel the warmth of her body through the linen. It's nice. I could get used to this.

“Sounds like the hunt for the White Wolf is on now, isn't it?” I say, looking at Sergio. “Well, let's not make it too easy for the Inquisition.”

“We have to get to Estenzia,” she whispers. “Before the Daggers make their move.”

I half-carry Adelina as we walk to the outskirts of Campagnia. She is so tired, she can barely stand up.

“Pretend you’re drunk,” I tell her. “It will make us look less conspicuous. And I hate to tell you this, but you'll need to at least try to disguise your face.”

"Yesh, shir," she replies, lifting her arm in a mock salute.

I’m starting to feel a little tipsy after my two glasses of Compagnian wine; I exaggerate my tipsiness so it seems like I’m half-smashed. We pass a few Inquisitors on our way out of the city; they look at us with contempt.

“Damned drunkards,” one of them mutters, “The sun hasn’t even gone down yet.” I beam a wide smile at him like I couldn't be happier.

When we get out of the city, I let out a long breath in relief. Adelina drops even her facial disguise, and I continue to steady her until we get to a spot in the forest outside of the city. Violetta rolls up their cloaks to create pillows, then fusses over her while I start a fire and cook some food.

Sergio stands watch. I notice that some of the mercenaries from the ship end up finding our camp. He talks to them for a while, and they slink back into the forest.

After I finish cooking dinner, I count our money, piling the coins into neat stacks of ten. It doesn't look good. We won't starve soon, but what we have is certainly not risking our lives over.

Sergio approaches us as we sit around the fire. “There are others in Merroutas who want to join you,” he says to Adelina. “Some have already made their way to the lands around Estenzia. You should know that Merroutas is in turmoil at the moment, as no one is sure who will replace the Night King. Some already think that _you_ rule there, even if no one can see you.”

“Not with this little pile of gold, you don't,” I mutter. “I'm impatient to swim in the Kenettran royal treasury.”

“It seems the Beldish queen is a patron of the Daggers,” Sergio says. He sits down next to Adelina and Violetta.

“Beldain has always celebrated _malfettos_ ,” Violetta says. “Adelina and I considered fleeing there for a while.”

I shake my head and drum my fingers on the ground. “Make no mistake—Beldain's not here to help _malfettos_ out of the goodness of its heart. Maeve is a new, young queen. She's itching to conquer, and she's probably had her eye on Kenettra for a long time. Watch. If they kill Giulietta and bring Enzo back, Enzo will be their puppet king. The Daggers will be a new branch of their army.” I look over at Adelina and wink at her. “And that means no crown for you, my love.” _And no treasury for me_. “A shame for all of us, I would think.”

Adelina turns to Sergio. “How long did you know the Daggers?” she asks. “How did you leave them?”

Sergio grabs one of his knives and sharpens it. The subject seems uncomfortable for him. “At the time, they'd recruited only Gemma and Dante,” he says after a minute of silence. “I was their third. Raffaele found me working on a ship as a rigger after he returned from visiting a duchess in southern Kenettra. I refused him, at first.”

“You refused him?” Adelina asks, expressing surprise.

“Because I didn't believe him.” He sharpens another blade. “At that point, I was eighteen and still had no knowledge of my powers. I thought of the Elites as rumors and legends.” He laughs and looks at Violetta. “It _is_ ridiculous, isn't it, what we can do? It took Raffaele inviting me to a dinner to change my mind. Afterward, Enzo demonstrated his ability with fire. They gave me a heavy bag of gold.” He laughs a little. “I suppose I became a mercenary first through them, eh?”

“And so you joined them,” Violetta guesses.

“I learned that I was drawn to the sky, to the elements that make storms. I learned to fight from Enzo and Dante. But six months passed, and I still could not call upon my power.” Sergio's face darkens, and he stabs the knife he had been sharpening into the ground. Violetta jerks. “Their training turned urgent, and the way that they talked to me changed. After another year, I could tell that Raffaele was having private conversations with Enzo about what to do with me. Gemma and Dante had both displayed their powers so early on that they expected the same from me too.”

Sergio sighs. He looks at Adelina. “I don't know what Raffaele told you. I don't even know myself all the details of what was said. All I know is that, one evening, Enzo took me aside to train, and cut me with a poison-tipped blade. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the belly of a ship heading south, out of Kenettra. He left a note tucked into my shirt. It was sparse, to say the least.”

I gather up the gold coins I've been absentmindedly stacking and look at Sergio. “So… what you're saying is that you wouldn't be too happy with the idea of the Daggers ruling Kenettra.”

I look at Adelina. She's staring past me, deep in thought. For a moment, I wonder what she's thinking about, but then realize she must be thinking about the Daggers. About Enzo.

“You're thinking about him, aren't you,” I state. “You think about him a lot, and not just for your political ploys.”

She shifts her gaze from the forest to me.

“The prince, I mean.” I take out my lute and pluck a couple of harsh-sounding notes. “Enzo—”

“He's not anything of the sort,” Adelina says. Her face darkens. Violetta reaches over to pat her hand.

Perhaps this is a sore subject. I lift my hands. “Just interested is all, my love. There's still much I don't know about your past.”

“I've known you for the grand total of a week,” she snaps. “You know nothing about me.”

_Maybe I'd like to_. I force a smile and start playing my lute again. The notes are discordant, reflecting my darkening mood. It’s stupid of me to think she could ever be interested in me. I joined Adelina for the money, not for other reasons. Not because she's brave, and maybe a little crazy for thinking she can right the world's injustices. What do I care if Enzo comes back? Why should I care if Adelina still has feelings for him?

“If they succeed in bringing Enzo back,” Sergio says, “he will not be the same. That's what the Daggers said in their conversation, isn't it? It's what apparently happened to Maeve's brother. Who knows what kind of monster he may be, with what kind of power?”

Adelina's eyes brighten. “They _will_ succeed in bringing him back. And perhaps he will come back forever changed, a… monster, with fearsome powers.” She looks around at all of us. “But in order to live, Enzo must be bound to Raffaele.”

Violetta gets an excited expression on her face. “How will Maeve tell the difference between the real Raffaele and a false one?”

“Ha!” I exclaim. “Brilliant! If we can meet them I the arena at the same time they arrive, you can disguise yourself as Raffaele.” _Then I will be able to get my money_.

Sergio looks on with admiration. “Maeve will tether Enzo to _you_. And _we_ will have a reborn prince on our side. It is a good plan, Adelina. A very good one.”

Adelina gets that far away expression on her face, as if she's remembering. She's probably thinking about being with Enzo again. Even though she's smiling, there's a part of that expression that looks fake. Something about this plan makes her unhappy.

“You're still loyal to the Daggers,” I state quietly. “You miss the way things used to be. You're hesitant to break them apart like this.”

She stares back at me; her expression darkens. She doesn't like to hear what I said, but I suspect it's the truth.

“Malfettos in this country are still dying every day,” Violetta says quietly, breaking the silence. “We can save them.”

We're all quiet for a moment, the only sound around us being the cracking fire and the crickets in the forest. This plan can work, but the decision to betray the Daggers further won't be an easy one for Adelina to make. Sergio leans forward. “I don't know what you experienced when you were with the Daggers,” he says thoughtfully. “But I considered them my friends, until they weren't.”

Adelina looks at Sergio. “How are we different?” she asks. “You are a mercenary.” She turns to me. “What happens to our alliance if we fail to get the throne?”

Sergio smiles at her. “You think too far ahead. This is nothing personal. But at least we're not pretending with you. You and I both know what we're doing, and why. I gather mercenaries for you, and you put us to good use. You reward us as you have promised. I have no reason to betray you.” He makes a bitter face. “And I have no desire to work with the Daggers. It gives me great pleasure to know that we will take their prince from them.”

“And where will your mercenaries be, when we need them?” Adelina raises her eyebrows in a questioning glance.

Sergio takes a sip of water. “They will be waiting for us in Estenzia. You'll see when we get there.”

Adelina closes her eye. Her mouth twists in anger, then slowly transforms into a shrewd, crafty smile. She opens her eye and looks at us. “The Daggers failed because I didn't trust them,” she says. “But I have to trust _you_. We have to trust one another.”

Sergio nods. “Then perhaps we need something to solidify our plans. We are a force as much as the Daggers are.”

“A name then,” I add. “Names give weight, reality, to an idea. Sergio, my friend, what did the Daggers call you when you stayed with them?”

Sergio frowns. “They called me the Rainmaker.”

“Ah, the Rainmaker.” I play a quick tune on my lute, one that makes me think of a stormy day. “I suppose it's as good a name as any.” An appropriate name for one who can call storms from the sky.

“A good name,” Adelina nods. “And what about you, Magiano?”

I shrug, playing a few more notes on my lute. People already talk about the name Magiano like they talk about the White Wolf. Besides, Magiano isn't my real name. I don’t remember my real name clearly. It's a fuzzy memory, like my mom's face. I think I remember her brown curls, her loving smile, but it's been so long that I'm not sure whether it's a faded memory or my imagination. “Magiano is already my Elite name,” I say. “I don't think any of us doubt the effect it has on people.” I flash her a wicked smile. There’s a hint of curiosity on her face, but she doesn't say anything. I look away into the forest.

“What about you?” Sergio asks Violetta. “No one has ever given you an Elite name.”

I look at Violetta. A hint of pink has crept up on her face. “I… I was never trained in anything,” she says, hesitatingly. She looks down shyly.

“You are a puppet master,” Adelina declares. “For taking life, and then gifting it back.”

“Puppet Master,” I say. “I like it, our sweet mistress of strings.” I look to Adelina. “And our little wolf, who will lead us all to glory. Tell us, Adelina, how we should take an oath of loyalty. You're right. We must trust one another. So, let us do that here. Now.”

She looks at me with bewilderment. I lean into her and reach up to her chin, pulling her face up to look at me. “Why so surprised, White Wolf?” I murmur quietly, smiling.

Adelina holds her palm out. She weaves the stem of a rose, with a thorny black stem and spikes leaves. I feel as if I reached out and touched it, my fingers would bleed. The rose blossoms with blood-red petals.

“A pledge,” Adelina says. She looks around at each of us. “A pledge,” she repeats, this time with a tone of authority and command. “To drive fear into those who will confront me.”

“To bind us together,” Violetta adds.

“I pledge myself to the Rose Society,” Adelina says. “Until the end of my days.”

Sergio and I repeat the words.

“To use my eyes to see all that happens,” Sergio adds.

“My tongue to woo others to our side,” I say, smiling shrewdly.

“My ears to hear every secret,” Violetta says.

“My hands,” Adelina says, “to crush my enemies.” Her hand makes a tight fist. “I will do everything in my power to destroy all who stand in my way.” Her eyes take on a look of fierceness and determination. Right now, the last thing in the world that I would want to do would be to mess with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	9. Under the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano and Adelina first kiss under the stars.

We leave shortly after the morning light begins filtering through the trees. When we pass a couple farms, I use my lute to lure a few horses out of their pasture so we can ride instead of walk. It takes two days to travel from Campagnia to Estenzia, and we can't take a boat, since the Inquisitors will undoubtedly inspect any that come into port. The Daggers said they would resurrect Enzo in three days, so walking should get us there with a small amount of time to spare.

I play my lute and write a few new songs while we ride. I even write a song about "Adelina, the One-Eyed Rose" that manages to coax a smile out of her. She doesn't smile often. I have a feeling she's had a difficult life. I can identify with that. Maybe I would smile less too, if I didn't have my music. Or memories of The Girl. I’ve made it almost something of a mission to find the good in life, because that’s what she would have wanted.

I wonder what will happen once we get to Estenzia. So many things could potentially go wrong. What if they go right though? Will Adelina forget about us Roses once she gets her prince? I know we're supposed to trust each other, but saying you'll do something and actually doing it are two different things. Adelina asks me what I'm thinking about a couple times, but I don't answer. I just smile and play a few notes from the song I wrote about her.

That night, we make camp in a clearing in the forest. I sit at the fire next to Adelina. Sergio sits several yards away from us, watching the sky. Violetta joins us for a while, but then gets up and sits next to Sergio again. They talk quietly. I think they like each other. Good for them.

I play my lute and sing softly as I look at the stars. The night is calm, and a light warm breeze flutters past my face. The trees sway softly overhead; they look like black shadows against the midnight blue sky. I look down and smile at Adelina, who is studying the others.

Violetta returns and sits next to her sister. “He's calling the rain,” she says. “Weaving it, you might say.” Her eyes sparkle with fascination.

“Can you imitate that too?” Adelina asks, still looking at Sergio.

“Not well, but I can strengthen him,” I say. I look over my shoulder at Sergio and then up at the stars, which are framed by the black tree shadows. I point upward. “See that? The shape of a swan's neck?”

She looks at where I'm pointing. “Isn't that Compasia's Swan?”

“It is.” Compasia is the goddess of empathy. Legend says the goddess once saved her human lover from drowning by transforming him into a swan. At night, he transforms back into his human form so he can be with her until dawn. “It aligns with the three moons—which I assume helps him know which direction to pull from.”

“It's fascinating,” Violetta says, looking over my shoulder, presumably at Sergio. “He is actually gathering individual threads of moisture in the air—mist from the ocean, ice crystals high in the sky. It requires so much concentration.”

Violetta gets up and goes back to sit with Sergio. I watch Adelina, who is absorbed in watching her sister.

Adelina takes her eyes off Violetta and notices me watching her. I lean back on my elbows. “How did you get your marking?”

“The blood fever infected my eye,” she replies tersely. She looks at my eyes. “Do you see differently when your eyes slit?”

“They sharpen.” In reply, my eyes form their cat-like slits. “That's not my main marking, though.”

Adelina turns towards me. “What _is_ your main marking?”

I lean forward, turn away from her, and lift my shirt so she can see my back.

She gasps. My back is covered with red and white scars, an angry wound that, although it doesn't always bother me, still sometimes hurts. It can be jarring to look at.

I turn back to face her. She’s blushing. “It was a large, red, flat marking. The priests tried to remove it by peeling off the skin. But of course that didn't work.” I give her an acidic smile. “They only replaced one marking with another.”

Her eyes look at me with kindness. “I'm glad it healed,” she says quietly a minute later.

I replace my shirt and lean back again. “It never really heals,” I say. “Sometimes it breaks open.”

She looks at the ground. Her silver hair is short and scraggly, like she tried to cut her hair and failed miserably. I wonder what led her to become the person she is today. Why her hair is like that. What forces shaped her personality to make her so angry.

When she looks up, I realize I've been staring at her. “What brought you into this life?” she asks. “Why did you become… well… Magiano?”

I look back up into the sky and shrug. “Why did you become the White Wolf?” I ask. “In the Sunland nations, _malfettos_ are seen as links to the gods. This doesn't mean anyone worships us—it only means that the temples like to keep malfetto orphans in their care believing that their presence will help them speak to the gods.” I sigh and lower my voice. “They also like keeping us hungry. It's the same reason why a nobleman might keep his tigers on a lean diet, see? If we're hungry, we're alert, and if we're alert, we are a better link to the gods. I was always hunting for food in that temple, my love. One day the priests caught me stealing food that was meant to be offerings to the gods. So they punished me. You can bet I ran away after that.” I point to my back and grin at her. “I hope the gods forgave me.”

Adelina shakes her head. “You should have burned that temple to the ground,” she grumbles.

That wasn't the response I was expecting. I chuckle nervously. “What good would it have done?”

Her jaw tightens for a moment. Her expression softens, and she starts to draw in the dirt. “We must have different alignments, to think with such opposite thoughts.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Alignments?”

She rubs her hand in the dirt to erase the line that she had just drawn. “Oh, it's just something that Raffaele used to talk about.” Her face sours as she mentions the Daggers. “He studies the energy of every Elite he comes across. He believes that we all align with certain gemstones and gods, and those alignments influence our powers. I align with fear and fury. With passion. And with ambition.”

I nod. “Well, I can certainly see that.” I give her a sly smile. “What do I align with?”

Adelina looks up at me through her silver lashes. “Are you asking me to guess?”

My smile widens. “Yes, I suppose so. I'm curious what you think you know of me.”

“All right.” She leans back and studies me. “Hmmm…” she murmurs. “Prase quartz.”

“What?”

“Prase quartz. For Denarius, the angel of Greed.”

I laugh at that. “Fair enough. What else?”

Adelina smiles back at me. “Kunzite. The healing gem. For the god of time.”

I raise my eyebrow at her. “Holy Aevietes?”

“Yes.” She nods at me. “A thief must be both patient and impatient to be good, must have impeccable timing. Right?”

“Solid reasoning.” I lean closer and brush my hand against hers. “Go on, then,” I say, more quietly.

“Diamond,” she adds, her smile widening. “For the goddess of prosperity.”

I move closer to her. My face is just inches away from hers now. I lower my eyes for a second. “And?”

“And… sapphire.” Her voice is barely above a whisper now. “For the angel of Joy.”

“Joy?” I look back up at her and smile.

“Yes,” she says, looking at the ground. Her face saddens. “Because I can see so much of it in you.”

I reach for her face and lift her chin so I’m looking into her eye. It’s warm and brown, reflecting the firelight. I feel nothing but her warm breath on my cheek, hear nothing but the crackling fire next to us.

I kiss her tentatively on her cheek, unsure of how she will react. I move to her lips. They feel soft against my skin. When I realize I'm not getting a negative reaction in return, I kiss her again, more confidently.

Her energy warms me and her alignment to passion tugs at my energy. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer. She responds to my kisses enthusiastically, putting her hand around my neck. We continue to kiss, and I forget where I am. I could lose myself in her like this.

After a while, I pull away, ending with another kiss on her cheek and on her jaw.

We don't say anything for a while. We sit close and I study her, watching her face and noticing how her normally chaotic and stormy energy has calmed. My heart, on the other hand, has not. It’s hammering so loudly in my chest, I wonder if Violetta and Sergio can hear it from across the campfire. 

I can't tell what Adelina is feeling. Part of her looks confused; another part of her looks guilty, as if she is betraying her prince, even though he's currently dead. She looks off into the distance. Maybe she’s not as outwardly attractive as her sister, but she is beautiful in other ways. So many things about her fascinate me.

I think about her damaged eye, wondering how that affects her.

She is smiling as she looks back at me, but her smile falls as she sees me watching her. “Why do you look?” she asks, a touch of irritation on her face.

“We are drawn to stories,” I reply. “And every scar carries one.”

I reach up and cover the scarred side of her face. She looks down in embarrassment. She reaches her hand up to her silvery hair, almost as if trying to use it to cover her scar. It must have been long once.

“Hiding it makes you more beautiful, but revealing it makes you _you_.” I smile at her. “So wear it proudly.”

She looks back up at me. “We all have our stories.”

“You are the first I've ever met who is willing to take on the Inquisition,” I say. “I've heard plenty of idle threats in my lifetime against those soldiers, and made plenty myself, but you _meant_ what you said, when you wanted revenge against them.”

For an instant, it seems as if she's imagining something unhappy. She sighs. “I suppose I'm just tired of them being the ones standing over us, as we beg in vain for our lives.”

I applaud her willingness to bring those tyrants to justice, but part of me worries about how viscious she can be.

“Now you are the one who can make them beg,” I state.

“Do I frighten you?” she asks.

_I'm frightened of how I'm beginning to feel about you. I'm frightened of your cruelty sometimes. I'm frightened of what might happen when your prince comes back_.

After thinking for a few moments, I lock those thoughts away. “I don't know. But I do know that I may never meet another like you again.”

Her glance shifts into the distance, the way it does when she thinks about Enzo. _I'll never be able to compete with him, especially once Maeve tethers him to you_.

I force myself to smile. _That's nothing I should worry about. I'll get my money. That's what I want anyway_ , I try to convince myself. I'm not sure how successful I am at that, however.

She smiles back at me. After a while, we both look up into the heavens and continue to gaze at the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	10. Back to Estenzia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group travels to Estenzia.

We wake to a gray sky with the promise of an angry storm to come. As we ride down the road, I play my lute. Think about what awaits us when we get to Estenzia.

I ride my horse alongside Adelina’s. She glances at me, then looks away. I wonder if she’s thinking about our kiss last night. If she regrets it.

“Tell me more about the Daggers. I seem to be the only one who’s never come into contact with them.”

She frowns and looks ahead. We ride silently, until I think she’s ignoring me.

“When I was a member, there were seven of us. Teren killed Enzo. I believe you’re familiar with the Lead Inquisitor?”

“More than I’d like.” Thinking about his pale blue eyes boring into mine when he questioned me in the dungeon makes me shiver even now.

“Then there was Dante. He could see in the dark. He threatened me when I went to rescue Violetta. I accidentally killed him.”

Up ahead, Violetta is riding next to Sergio. She looks back and smiles when she sees us together.

“Raffaele can sense the energies of other Elites and manipulate people’s feelings. People call him the Messenger. He tests all the Elites he brings in, finds out what their alignments are. I think he wanted me dead after he tested me.” Her jaw tenses.

“Gemma is also known as the Star Thief. You saw her at the meeting the other day.”

“The dog followed her.”

“Yes. She has a way with wild animals. They’re naturally attracted to her. She’s also related to Kenettran nobility.”

I nod. “Probably makes it easier for her, being a _malfetto_.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t hurt.” She stares down the path. I wait for her to continue. “We were friends once. Not any more, I suppose.” I detect bitterness in her voice.

“I’m sorry.” Has there ever been anybody that cared for her and didn’t betray her, other than her sister? And Enzo. I try not to think of him though.

“It’s okay.” She sighs. “Then there’s Lucent, also known as the Windwalker. She can harness the wind and even make things fly. Michel, the Architect, is the last Dagger. He can unravel objects and then remake them in other places.”

“Good to keep that in mind.”

Slowly, the landscape transforms from forest to grassland, with rivers snaking across the land, crossed by rickety wooden bridges. The storm Sergio created builds throughout the day, darkening the world with heavy clouds. By dusk, it almost looks like it's the middle of the night.

A few drops of rain fall, and the wind picks up. I put my lute away and cover myself with my cloak. The rain soon turns into a downpour.

“How long will this storm last?” Violetta asks, shielding herself from the wind with her own cloak.

“At least a day,” Sergio replies, riding up to the two girls. “I can never really tell. Once I set them in motion, they take on a life of their own that not even I can stop.”

When we reach a small village outside of Estenzia, we stop at a small tavern and tie up the horses. We’ll finish the journey on foot. The rain has soaked through my clothes, and I shiver. I wasn’t made for this cold. My boots make sucking sounds in the mud, threatening to hang onto them with every step.

Once we reach the canal district, we'll take a boat the rest of the way. Until then, we walk past a few small villages. After a while, we reach the outskirts of the city, where the land is divided by canals. The storm caused some of the canals to overflow, which resulted in a few untended gondolas to wash up against the canal walls.

I approach a stack of gondolas that have piled up. “Lately, Estenzia has kept her canals locked in order to control the passage of cargo,” I say. “But in a storm this bad, the canals in the city will flood too quickly if they don't pull up some of their gates. They have to help the water drain.”

Sergio and I flip over a gondola. Sergio helps Violetta enter the boat.

Adelina looks at the city walls. Her gaze lands on the rows of run-down shelters that line the outside of the city. “What is that?” she asks.

“Malfetto slave camps, of course,” I reply, frowning. Her face darkens into a scowl, then hardens with a look of determination.

“Come on,” I prod her. I hold out my hand, and she grabs onto me. Her face flushes. I wonder if she's thinking about our kiss last night. I lean into her as I guide her into the boat. “Watch your step,” I say softly.

She slides into the boat and covers most of her body with the canvas protecting the cargo area. The bottom of the boat is covered with inches of water.

“When we get close enough, I'll veil us,” she says. “Stay close and keep an eye out for the rest of us.”

I nod, push their boat into the water, and watch them drift away. Sergio and I flip over another boat and get into it. Sergio pushes us away from the walkway, and we float down the canal. The bottom of our boat is covered with water too, but I’m already too soaked for it to make a difference.

The closer we get to Estenzia, the more the storm intensifies. As the city looms, so do the slave camps. Inquisitors infest the camps, their white cloaks bogged down with the storm.

I can feel Adelina's energy pulling on mine. She's working her illusions, hiding us from any Inquisitor that might wander by.

We float by a pair of patrolling Inquisitors, who let us pass. Several minutes later, our boats reach another set of Inquisitors. One of them talks to the other in a muffled voice, then our boat stops. It makes a soft thudding sound as it hits the canal’s wall. An Inquisitor leans over us, examining our boat.

Adelina releases the invisibility illusion over us. I hear her struggling with an Inquisitor several yards away from us. Our Inquisitor gasps as we appear. I jump out of the boat, grabbing one of my daggers and taking advantage of his momentary surprise. Sergio jumps out of the boat as well. As I hold our Inquisitor's attention, Sergio approaches him from behind and throws his arm around his neck and strangles the Inquisitor.

I look over at Adelina. The Inquisitor that attacked her is slumped at her feet. Violetta touches her shoulder. Adelina jerks around, her face full of bloodlust.

Sergio and I run to the girls. Adelina stares into the distance, as if she's off in her own world. “Quiet!” she hisses.

I touch her on her shoulder, breaking her out of what I can only guess must be another hallucination. “We'd better move. Now,” I urge her. “We won't be alone here for long.”

We rush out of the canal zone, keeping our heads down so we don’t attract attention. Adelina weaves an illusion of invisibility around us as we make our way to the capital city's arena, where Enzo died. The only people wandering around this time of night are the Inquisitors, so it's not too difficult to avoid bumping into anybody.

When we get to the arena, I gasp. Even though I’ve been to Estenzia before, I never had the chance to go to an event here. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s huge, with rows of tiered seats surrounding a large flat field. In the middle of the field is a lake large enough for a balira to swim in.

Now all we have to do is wait for the Daggers.


	11. Enzo Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maeve brings Enzo back from the dead.

We split up while we wait for the Daggers. Adelina and Violetta wait under the arena's pits, which lead to underground tunnels where baliras enter and exit during some of the city's events. Sergio and I stand watch in the arena's stands.

After I stand the first watch of the evening and wake up Sergio, I head down into the pits to see how the girls are doing. They're both sleeping. Adelia shakes her head back and forth and mumbles, as if in the middle of a nightmare. Violetta hears me as I approach and wakes up.

“Hey,” I whisper. Violetta nods at me in acknowledgement. “Just checking to see how you’re doing.”

“Get out,” Adelina mutters. She rolls over in her in her sleep.

I frown. “How often is she like this?”

Adelina's face freezes as if she’s in terror. Her energy is wild and darker than normal. “Not often,” Violetta says, “but lately, it's been happening more frequently. When we were younger, it never happened.”

I sit down next to Adelina. _What nightmares haunt your dreams?_ I wonder if her nightmares are related in any way to her illusions. Earlier today, after we ran into the Inquisitors at the canals, I think she had another hallucination.

I put my hand on her head and brush her hair back, as if to comfort her. She turns once again, but about a minute later, her breath evens out. Her energy calms.

“She’s never calmed down that quickly from a nightmare before,” Violetta says. “Usually when she has these, she tosses and turns all night. Her energy has shifted.”

“I saw that too. Strange.”

“I’m worried about her.” Violetta picks at her blanket. “Our father wasn’t the—best man. I learned about my power when I was fairly young. I used it to hold back Adelina’s power. If Father ever found out about her power—he probably would have used it against her. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing though, by holding it back.”

“She might be worse if you hadn’t.”

Violetta’s eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Maybe you’re right. I tried to be the best sister I could be. Sometimes I feel like it wasn’t enough.”

“Our best has to be enough. It’s all we’ve got.” I stare at the stone wall in the distance. “We all have our regrets.”

I think of The Girl. Could I have done something differently to save her? I don't know. No use worrying about it now.

Another day goes by, which I pass in boredom. I can't play my lute because I don't want Daggers or Inquisitors to hear us and realize we’re here. For half of the day, I lay on my back, watching baliras fly overhead and feeling the rain pelt against my face. It’s cold and miserable. Occasionally, I stop by the pits to see how the girls are doing and to dry off a little. Sergio paces back and forth impatiently most of the day. We see no sign of the Daggers.

At night, I go back down into the pits to see the girls again. This time, they’re both awake. I sit down next to Adelina and sigh. “Not yet,” I mutter.

“What if the Daggers don't come?” Violetta whispers.

The Daggers were supposed to get here yesterday, but they haven't arrived yet. I look at Adelina. “They'll come.” She stares at the wall. Her expression gets that faraway look she always has whenever she thinks about Enzo.

I sigh loudly and lean against the wall. “Sergio says you have more mercenaries gathering behind you. Why don't we retreat to somewhere outside of Estenzia and mobilize whatever allies you've gathered? Then we can figure out a way to strike at Teren and the queen when they least expect it.” I look at Adelina. “Do we really need to be here?”

“Enzo is an Elite,” she replies. She's told me that several times today.

“Yes, and also the former leader of the Daggers. How do you know this will work? What if something goes wrong?” _What if something happens to you?_

“I _don't_ know,” she says. “But I'd rather not risk letting a chance go.”

“The Beldish queen has no ordinary power,” I remind her. “This is tampering with the gods themselves, bringing the dead back to life. You are putting yourself directly in that path, you realize.”

Her mouth twists in irritation. Maybe all this waiting around is taking a toll on her too. “You've gone this far with us,” she whispers. “We'll get you your money, don't worry.”

Her reply surprises me, like she slapped me in the face. _You think that's all I care about?_ I shrug and turn away from her. My attention diverts to the soggy bread and cheese that comprises what's left of our food supplies. “Good,” I mutter. Once she has her Enzo back, that's all that will really matter anyway, I guess.

Violetta stirs. She must notice something. “Is it them?” Adelina asks.

A moment later, Sergio lands behind us, holding a dagger in one of his hands. “I spy our favorite Dagger,” he says, smiling.

We all turn towards him. “He's in the tunnels on the other side of the arena.”

Adelina nods, then puts her cloak over her head, shrouding her face in shadow. “It's time,” she says, going to meet him.

I watch her as she leaves to meet Raffaele. _Stay safe_. I can't watch her for too long though. There’s a lot of work to do. Whether I agree with it or not, I need to do my part to ensure this plan succeeds.

I take a position in the lower part of the stands. I crouch down, making myself as inconspicuous as possible, and wait. Not only do I need to make sure that Maeve doesn't see me before the tether happens, I also need to make sure the other Daggers don't see me. They're here, somewhere. I can feel their energy.

A girl who I imagine must be Maeve enters the arena floor. Adelina, disguised as Raffaele, follows her out of the tunnels. I never met Raffaele, but I can tell it's Adelina and not him from the energy she radiates.

They walk through the stadium together and then stop. Maeve turns around to say something to her. She removes her hood, revealing hair that’s half black, half gold. They perform some sort of ritual, which I can't see clearly from my vantage point.

Maeve holds out her hand, which glows blue. As the storm continues to pour rain down on us, lightning strikes from overhead.

Maeve's energy is dark, similar to Adelina’s. Fear envelopes her.

As I watch, another form of energy emerges. This energy is even darker than Maeve's or Adelina's. It's an otherworldly energy that feels like death. I shudder.

The water in the lake in the middle of the arena turns choppy, but I still haven’t seen any of the Daggers yet. A balira flies out of the lake. Maeve's glow, first originating from her hand, has spread to encompass her entire body. I can tell something big is about to happen.

Suddenly, a fountain of water gushes from the lake. The water shoots up so high, it reaches the top of the arena. A loud peal of thunder crashes, and the fountain of water bursts into flames, engulfing the entire lake. The arena lights up in scarlet and gold, lighting up everything around us. I can feel heat from the fiery lake from my position in the stands.

A silhouette emerges from the lake. The flames rush into it, and it solidifies into a boy with dark hair and blood-stained clothing. Enzo, I presume.

Enzo walks to Adelina. Fire whirls around them for a moment, then disappears in a puff of smoke. Adelina draws near to him and kisses him, dropping her illusion. And the fury of the Underworld breaks loose.

Maeve looks at Adelina. “Tristan!” she yells. A boy, radiating an otherworldly energy similar to Enzo, appears at Adelina's side, trying to kill her. He was so fast, I didn’t even see him run to her. My heart leaps, fearful for Adelina, helpless to do anything.

“Do not kill her!” Maeve shouts. Tristan obeys her command immediately.

A gust of wind hits Adelina and she flies up into the air. This is the work of the Windwalker, Lucent. Lucent drops the whirlwind that picked her up into the sky, and Adelina plummets to the ground, but I'm ready. I mimic the Windwalker's work and create my own current of air, softening her fall.

I run towards her. One of the Daggers, Lucent, reaches her before I do, but I hop down to Adelina's side before she can hurt her.

“Sorry for that rough landing,” I tell Adelina, “but I have a prince to steal for you.” I flash Lucent a wicked smile and throw her back with a blast of wind, knocking her down the stairs. Lucent creates her own wind current to soften her landing.

Before she can attack us back, Violetta is ready, taking away Lucent's powers.

I laugh, taking a dagger out of one of my pockets. “Why so surprised?” I taunt. I mimic Lucent's wind powers again, bringing Enzo towards us in a whirlwind.

After he arrives, I lunge at Lucent. She pulls out two short swords. I take out another dagger, and we duel. As we fight, the other Daggers and Roses struggle throughout the arena.

While Lucent and I continue to duel, it seems like neither of us have the advantage. I lunge at her again, and her face contorts in pain. One of her wrists bends at an odd angle. I must have broken it.

“Stop!” Adelina shouts. Her arm is wrapped around another Dagger's neck, holding a dagger to his throat.

“Let him go!” Lucent shouts to Adelina. Adelina keeps her grip on the Dagger, whom I am guessing Is Michel.

“Where's Raffaele?” Lucent yells. “What did you do with him?”

“Find him yourself,” Adelina answers.

Lucent makes a move in her direction. “Careful,” I say, causing her to stop. “I keep my blades very sharp. It's a nervous habit.”

Lucent turns to me, her face full of venom, then faces Adelina. “Where'd you get your new crew?” she shouts. “What do you _want_? We parted ways! You want your darling Enzo back? Is that what this is all about?”

Adelina surrounds Lucent with an illusion of flames. Lucent covers her face in self-defense.

“I came to take the throne from you,” Adelina replies. “From Beldain. How dare you all think you all think you can hand our country over to a foreign power. A foreign queen!”

“You hated the Inquisition,” Lucent calls. “You wanted to see the _malfettos_ saved as much as we do. You –”

“ _Then why aren't we allies, Windwalker?_ ” Adelina yells back. “If we all want the same things, why are you my enemy? Why did you cast me out?”

“Because we couldn't trust you! You _killed_ one of ours! You betrayed us to Teren!”

“I had no _choice_.”

“Enzo died because of you.”

“He died because of Teren. Your precious Raffaele wanted me dead too! Have you forgotten that?”

“The throne doesn't belong to you. It belongs to the rightful king.”

I can feel Adelina's energy darken. “No—it will belong to your Beldish queen, not Enzo. There is no rightful ruler of Kenettra. Can't you see that?”

Lucent snarls. She makes a move to rush at Adelina, but she stops and grabs her wrist, her face contorting in pain.

“Magiano, look out!” Adelina screams. I whirl around, only to see the new Dagger, Leo, rushing at me with a sword drawn. After I block his sword, Leo grabs my arm. I kick him away, but he must have poisoned me. Nausea overwhelms me, and I fall to my knees to vomit.

“The Inquisition's here!” Leo shouts. “We have to hurry.”

I clutch my stomach and look to the horizon, where baliras fly towards us with Inquisitors on their backs. When I look back down, Adelina and Lucent are glaring at each other. “I'm fairly certain none of us like them, yes?” I ask, wiping the vomit from my mouth. It's all I can do for now.

Adelina lets go of Michel, shoving him away. She rushes to me, and along with Violetta, they pick me up. “Poisoned, I think,” I croak. “That little bastard.”

“We're getting you out of here,” Adelina says. They help me onto the back of a balira, and I black out.


	12. The Fires of Estenzia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They put out fires in the malfetto slave camps, then get Teren to work with them.

I wake up in a strange bed in a room by myself. The room is sparse, with wood-paneled walls, furnished with a dresser, a bed covered with a blue quilt, and a table with an unlit candle on it. My lute is on the table.

The poison that knocked me out earlier leaves me feeling dizzy as I sit. I slowly get up and wander into the hallway.

Next door, Adelina and Violetta are huddled around a bed. Adelina’s attention is focused on the prince, who is laying on the bed, asleep. A look of adoration floods her face. Through the window, the malfetto slave camps cast long shadows against a reddening sky, telling me it’s late afternoon. I must have been unconscious for quite a while, since we left the arena at night.

I go downstairs to look around. Sergio evidently was able to get this house, an old barn in the countryside that was converted into a hideout for thieves, using his mercenary contacts. There are some horses for us to use if we need them.

I return upstairs and stop in the doorway. I sigh and tune my lute, but I'm not sure how much heart I can put into my music. The notes I play come out sharp, reflecting the way I feel. Annoyed.

“How long is he going to sleep like this?” I mutter. I don't know why I feel so angry right now. Our plan to take over the throne of Kenettra is going well.

Violetta is concentrating on Enzo. “He's stirring,” she says. “It's hard to tell though. His energy is nothing like any of ours.”

I lean against the door and play a song, then wander out into the hallway. Time drags on and my annoyance builds. I pace the hallway a few times, impatient, then return to the doorway and continue to play. Music isn’t bringing me any joy today though. I don't look at Adelina. I don't want to. She’s cooing all over her prince, like he was one of the gods himself. It’s not something I want to see.

Enzo stirs, and I glance back into the room. He tries to sit, but makes a face and lays back down. “What happened?” he asks.

“Well, this might take some explanation,” I snort, looking away. From downstairs, Sergio calls my name. I put my lute away and go downstairs to see what he wants.

Sergio is standing next to one of the mercenaries, who is frowning. He points towards the slave camps. A cloud of black smoke rises from off in the distance.

“Teren was demoted,” Sergio says. “It looks like he's taking it out on the _malfettos_.”

“We better let Adelina know,” I frown. “Enzo seems to be waking up, finally.”

Sergio nods. I rush back up the stairs. On the way, I pass Violetta.

“What's going on?” she asks.

“Look out the window.” I say. “The camps are burning.”

Outside, the cloud of smoke is rapidly growing. “Adelina wanted to talk to Enzo, alone.” she says. “But she'll want to see this.”

We rush to the room where Adelina and Enzo are and throw the door open. They’re standing close to each other. Adelina’s face flushes pink; she tries to hide it with an illusion, but not before I see it. She obviously still has feelings for him, but I worry for her. Maeve can control her brother; what if Enzo can control her? Maeve’s brother is just a boy. Enzo is an Elite.

I glare at Enzo, who has pulled out a dagger. “Who are you?” he asks.

I blink for a second, then hold up my lute and grin. “I'm the entertainment.”

“He is an Elite,” Adelina says. “Magiano, the thief. He's joined us.”

Enzo looks at me curiously. “Magiano. We'd all started to think that you were a myth.”

I shrug, half-smiling. “I guess I must be real, Your Highness.”

“Why is he here?” Enzo asks, turning towards Adelina. I don’t think he likes me. The feeling is mutual. “What are you planning?”

“To take back the throne,” she replies. “To destroy Teren and the Inquisition Axis.”

Sergio and Violetta rush through the door. Sergio strides to the window. “You can see the commotion from here,” he says. He looks at Enzo. “You'll want to see this too, Reaper.”

Enzo and Adelina join him. “The camps. They're burning.” The smoke above the camps continues to grow, rapidly filling up the sky.

“Do you know what's happening?” Adelina asks.

Sergio nods. “The rumors have been flying through the city and the villages. The queen has demoted Teren from his Lead Inquisitor title. He is to leave tomorrow to inspect the southern cities.”

“Demoted?” Violetta asks. “The queen relies so heavily on his power. Why would she send him away?”

I shrug. “He either upset her, she finds him unreliable, or she has no more use for him.”

“Teren has angered my sister,” Enzo says. “Disobeyed her. He will do it again.”

“But he's the queen's lackey,” I reply. “He—”

Enzo raises an eyebrow at me. “I remember that rumor. He has been in love with my sister since he was a boy. He would give his life for her, but he will not be sent away from her side. Not even by her. He is convinced that her well-being is in his hands.”

“We have to save them,” Adelina whispers. “And I think I know a way.”

Adelina screams. She staggers back and stumbles over her own feet, falling onto the floor. Her face fills with terror, and her energy flares out of control.

“Adelina!” Violetta shouts, grabbing her sister's wrists. Adelina calms, although she continues to breathe heavily. “It's okay. You're okay. What happened?”

She looks back out the window. It's obvious that she had another one of her illusions. She’s shaking.

Enzo rushes to her side and grabs her hand. “Steady, little wolf,” he says. I look away.

“I thought I saw something,” she says quietly. “I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?” Sergio asks.

“I'm _fine_ ,” Adelina snaps, irritated. “I'm fine,” she repeats, more quietly this time, almost as if she's trying to convince herself that it's true. She hurries out of the room.

I follow her. “Hey.” I grab her arm and spin her around. “Another illusion out of control, wasn't it?” I frown. “Has this always happened with your powers?”

“It's not unusual,” she grumbles.

“When did it start?” I ask. She looks down and doesn't answer me. “We have pledged ourselves to putting you on the throne. We deserve an answer. _When did it start?_ ” I ask more forcefully.

She doesn't say anything.

“Was the time in Merroutas your first? In the gondola?”

She still looks frightened, even though she says she's okay. “It happens after I kill,” she whispers.

She shivers. “I'm fine,” she repeats, glaring at me. I don't believe her.

I step closer to her and reach out to touch her cheek. “Adelina,” I murmur. I want to tell her I care about her; that I'm afraid for her. That I want what's best for her. Instead, I tuck those feelings away. She has her Enzo. She doesn't want to hear what I have to say. Not about that, anyway.

The other people enter the hallway and stand behind us.

“You said you know a way for us to save those malfettos,” I say. “Well, what? What's your plan?”

She closes her eye and takes a deep breath. “Teren is down there right now, in the _malfetto_ camps,” she says. “We can trick him to work in our favor.”

“In our _favor_?”

“Yes.” Adelina looks around at all of us. “If Teren is at odds with the queen, he'll want retaliation. He's doing it right now. He can be our way into the palace, and to the throne.”

Enzo approaches Adelina, his mouth an angry red slash. “And what makes you think you can bend Teren to your will? His disobedience to my sister will not make him our ally.”

“Enzo,” she says quietly, “I think I know why Teren has been banished. I think I know who came between them.”

His expression of anger turns to confusion, then realization. “Raffaele.”

“I think Raffaele is in the palace,” Adelina nods. “I don't know what he has done, but if the Daggers are working to break the two of them apart… then we might be able to find the Daggers by going to the palace. In order to do that, we'll need to trick Teren into working with us. He will be able to get us in faster than we can do it ourselves.” She holds up her hands. “I can only disguise so many of us, and only for so long.”

I look towards the fires outside. “We don't have much time.”

Enzo walks down the stairs. “Let's hurry, then.”

We grab horses at the stables. Adelina and Violetta ride together. Enzo and Sergio ride at their sides, while I ride behind them.

The camps are a horror zone. Smoke chokes the air. The screams of dying _malfettos_ are deafening. The Inquisitors locked the _malfettos_ into the longhouses and set them on fire, but are nowhere to be seen now. My hands form fists in anger.

Adelina tries to open a lock in vain. Illusions can do a lot of things, but they can't open physical locks. Enzo approaches the building and melts the locks with his hands. I watch his energy and mimic him, melting open a lock on a building on the other side of the alley.

“Get out!” I shout as I open the door.

A peasant woman in torn rags with a dirty face appears in the entryway. “Thank you,” she says, coughing.

I don’t wait to see how many others escape from the house, moving on to the next one.

Enzo melts the locks on one side of the alley, I do the same on the other.

The Inquisitors, absent before now, see us. Enzo takes out his sword; before I know it, he has already dropped three of them.

One Inquisitor is writhes on the ground. “Teren Santoro,” Enzo states with a commanding air. “Where is he?”

The Inquisitor points to the local temple. I jump on my horse and ride in that direction.

Adelina enters the temple first. Violetta follows her. At least she’ll be able to take away Teren’s power if he tries to attack.

 _Malf_ _etto_ houses continue to burn in the distance. Enzo and Sergio head towards them.

I stand outside the temple, resting my hand on one of the marble columns framing the entrance.

For a moment, I can’t breathe. I can't let myself panic though. The last time I set foot inside a temple was the day I ran away from the Temple of Mensah when I was eleven years old. That temple was much larger than this one, because it served the entire city. I try not to spend any energy remembering. Adelina is all that matters. She needs to stay safe.

When I enter, the first thing I see is Teren crouching in front of a statue of Sapientus. Adelina is standing behind him, listening. I sneak behind a column and hide in the shadows.

“The Daggers have poisoned her against me,” Teren says to the statue. “Raffaele—he’s working his demonic magic on her.”

“I can't leave her like this,” Teren snaps. “She is my superior in every way. I have pledged my entire life to obeying her. But she wants to send me away, Lord Sapientus. How can I leave her with _them_? She's listening to him. She used to listen to _me_. She used to hate the _malfettos_ —but now he's talking her out of our goal. Would she really give up our entire mission of cleansing this country, just to have those abominations fight for her? They are liars and whores, thieves and murderers. They are tricking her, and she is allowing it. Do you know what she said to me when I tried to defend her?” His anger rises. “She said I am an abomination, _like them_. _I am not like them. I know my place_.”

Teren stops. Suddenly, he spins around and draws his sword, pointing it at Adelina. “You,” he hisses. “Adelina.” His voice takes on a silky quality. “What's this?” He steps toward her. “Has the White Wolf finally decided to stop hiding? Did the Daggers send you?”

“I am not a Dagger,” she says. “And it sounds to me like you can't seem to remove their thorn from your side.”

Teren's smile widens in a sinister smile. Suddenly, he lunges at her with his sword.

“Violetta!” she shouts.

Teren stumbles backward, clutching his chest. She must have taken away his power. He looks into the shadow where Violetta is. “I knew your sister must be here somewhere. She seems to have grown bolder since last we met. Fine, let's play. I could slit your throat even without my strength.”

He lunges again, but Adelina has been trained to fight. She sidesteps his attack and returns with an illusion of pain. He clutches his arm, but then recovers and resumes his launch against Adelina.

“Stop!” she cries out. “I've come to talk with you.”

“All an illusion with you,” he shouts. Adelina conjures more pain, and Teren screams again. Although he's hurting, he lunges again, slashing her arm.

I jump out of the shadows, placing myself between the two. My eyes slit. “Keep your filthy blades off her,” I snap. “It's rude.”

My sudden appearance has surprised Teren. He lunges at me, slashing with his blade. He cuts into my chest, sending me backwards. I mimic his ability, and my wound heals immediately. I laugh. “I believe she told you to _stop_ , so that we can all talk.” I cross my arms. “Don't you like talking? You seemed to be doing a great deal of it a moment ago.”

Teren stares at me in disbelief.

“Don't fight me,” Adelina shouts as he turns his attention back to her. “I know what you're really up against.”

Teren laughs. “Brave little wolf, the queen wants your head, and I shall give it to her.”

“Raffaele has taken your place at the palace,” she says, mocking him. “And he has also cast me out of the Daggers.” She looks at me. “Not that it has stopped me from finding allies.”

“You've been busy.” Teren looks at me. I grin in return.

“Do you really believe Queen Giulietta deserves the throne, now that she has thrown you away?” Adelina asks. “Now that she is willing to have other Elites in her army?”

“What do you want, mi Adelinetta?”

Adelina weaves an illusion over herself, transforming herself into Giulietta.

Teren drops his weapon on the ground, convinced by the illusion. “Your majesty.”

“This is what you want, isn't it?” Adelina steps closer to him.

Teren holds her face in his hands. “Giulietta. Oh, my love. It's you.” He kisses her cheeks. “How could you send me away?”

He holds onto her face more tightly. “You sent me away. I did everything for you, and _you sent me away_.”

Adelina straightens her posture. “I am the Queen of Kenettra,” she says. “Pure of blood. If I want, I'll send you away. If I wish, I'll kill you. Shouldn't I?”

“But you are taking counsel from a Dagger. You are letting a _malfetto_ tell you it's not worth it to cleanse this country.”

“I have no interest in destroying _malfettos_. I never have. Why should I? It's useless.”

He steps closer to her and kisses her. I breathe in sharply. I remind myself that I'm only here for the money, but still, part of me doesn't like to see her kissing anybody else. “I _loved_ you,” he hisses. “And now, you love _them_?” He kisses her again, but it seems to be out of anger. “Tell me, My Queen—how can I love a _traitor_ to the gods?”

Adelina drops her illusion. When Teren realizes she isn't Giulietta, he releases her in disgust and turns away.

“You once said that I belong with you,” she says quietly. “Instead of with the Daggers.” She pauses to watch him for a second. “The only way to get what you want in this world is to do it yourself. No one else will help you in this. The only way is it you are on the Kenettran throne.”

Teren laughs. “And why, my dear Adelina, would _you_ want that? I almost killed you. I killed your _lover_.”

I bristle at his words, then brush them out of my mind.

“Because,” she replies, tilting her head sweetly, “the Daggers also wanted me dead. Because they would have killed me.” She steps closer to him. “How can I love a traitor? I would sooner die than see them take the throne.”

Adelina creates an illusion of flames, which fill the entire temple.I feel the heat licking at my body.

“The Beldish queen has already sent for her navy,” she yells over the roar of the flames. “There will be war. She has been working with the Daggers this entire time.” She nods at Teren. “You were right to suspect Raffaele.”

“How do you know this?”

“I overheard the Daggers.” She pauses. “And I would like nothing more than to see their plans turn to ash.”

Teren smiles and steps closer to her. “Ah, mi Adelinetta. I have missed you. You, more than any other abomination, understand what we truly are.” He smiles. “Had I known you when I was a young boy…”

I'm not sure I want to know what he's thinking. Adelina lets the flames die out.

“What are you planning, little wolf?” he asks. “The Daggers have already wedged their way to the queen's side. She has already sent for them for tomorrow morning.”

“Then lead us to the palace, Master Santoro. Tomorrow morning. And we will destroy the Daggers for you.”


	13. Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beldish come for Enzo.

Sergio created another storm. Rain falls outside, lightning streaks across the sky, and thunder shakes the windowpanes.

We’re staying in the ruins of what used to be the Fortunata Court. Violetta is already asleep, tossing and turning from a nightmare.

I go to Adelina's room. On the way, I pass Enzo, and shudder at what I see. He glances at me for a second then ignores me, staring at the water instead, as if searching for something. The pits of his eyes are black. Empty. Soulless.

Her door is open a crack. Adelina is facing the window, watching the baliras fly overhead. Their calls to each other sound distressed. I lightly tap on her door. When she looks at me, I enter and stand beside her, and we look out the window together.

“If the Star Thief were near us, I could control those baliras,” I mumble. “We could fly right over the palace and land on its roofs.”

Adelina continues to stare out the window. “The storm has stirred them from the waters,” she says. “Not even Gemma can control more than one; not in this agitated state.”

I lean against the windowsill. “Do you really think Teren will help us?” I ask. “I don't remember him being great at keeping his word.” During the short time I spent in the dungeon, he made promises while interrogating me that he never kept.

“I know how he keeps his word,” she replies. Her fingers dig into the windowsill with such force, her knuckles turn white. “He hates the Daggers more than he hates us. It's all the advantage we need.”

I nod and stare at the baliras flying over the water.

Behind us, Enzo stomps around, his boots thudding against the wooden floorboards. I look over my shoulder at him, then back at Adelina. “The prince is a moody one, isn't he? Was he always this way?”

“Enzo has always been quiet.”

I look at her. I don't know how I feel at this moment. Am I worried about her because I'm jealous, or because there actually is something wrong with Enzo? For her sake, I hope I’m just imagining things about him, and there’s nothing to worry about except me. I place my hand on hers. “Adelina, you keep waiting for him to become what he once was.”

Adelina's face hardens. “It will take time,” she says, “but he will come back. I know it.”

I frown, studying her face. “You don't believe that. I can see the truth on your face.” I can sense it in her energy, the fear that swarms around her as we speak.

She glares at me. “Do you say this to hurt me? Or do you actually have a point to make?”

“I'm trying to say that you are living in a world of illusions,” I say. The last thing I want is to see her hurt. “Of your own creation. You are in love with something that no longer exists.”

“He is one of us now.” There’s irritation in her voice.

I lean closer to her. “Do you know what I saw when I passed him in the hall? I looked down at him, and he up at me—I looked into those eyes and I saw… _nothing_.” I shudder at the memory. “It was like staring straight into the Underworld. Like he aches to return to where he came from. He is not really here, Adelina.”

“He is right here, in this building, with us,” Adelina replies. She clenches her jaw. “He is tethered to _my life_. And I will use him as I see fit.”

_He is an Elite. What if he uses you?_ I don't say anything, throwing up my hands instead. I can feel my eyes slit. “Yes, I know. That's all you see. Your victory. Your prince. Nothing else.”

Adelina stares at me, blinking, saying nothing in reply. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries. After all, I’m just her mercenary, and nothing else. I leave the room, frustrated.

I go to my room and pace, not knowing what else to do. Am I thinking of her best interests, or mine? There is something wrong with Enzo; I know it. I never knew him when he was alive, but I can't imagine he was always like this. Deep down, Adelina knows something is wrong too, but she’s too blind to see otherwise. Or am I the blind one, just deluding myself?

I look out the window. Enzo and Adelina are out there, talking. I immediately look away. I should get some rest, but continue to pace instead. I doubt I can sleep in this agitated state.

After a while, I hear a commotion outside. Soldiers, wearing unfamiliar looking uniforms, have gathered outside and are grabbing Enzo. They shout to each other; they sound Beldish. My heart beats rapidly, and I spring into action, sliding down the stair's railing and rushing out the door.

The former Night King’s mercenaries are fighting the soldiers, but our forces are no match for theirs. They throw Enzo on a horse. Our mercenaries chase after them.

Adelina is lying down in the mud. “Violetta!” she screams, but is staring into nothingness. She covers her face with her arm. “No!”

I kneel on the ground and wrap my arms around her, trying to keep her from hurting herself. She struggles against me. “Adelina! Adelina!” I cry out over and over, trying to break her out of her illusion. She continues to scream.

The commotion has woken up Violetta, who appears next to us. When she takes away her sister's powers, Adelina's illusion breaks, and she crumples in my arms out of exhaustion.

She clings to me and cries. “It's okay,” I whisper to her, kissing her cheek. “You're okay. I'm sorry.”

“What happened?” she asks, still shaking in terror. Her energies are calming.

“A group of attackers. They ambushed us.”

“Inquisition?” Violetta asks.

I shake my head. “No. These were foreign soldiers, with foreign accents.” I pick up Adelina, cradling her in my arms. She grabs my shirt. “Hey, a little help here!” A couple of our mercenaries come to our side to assist us.

“Get a warm cloth!” I carry Adelina upstairs to her room and carefully place her on her bed. I sit down next to her.

“Who were they?” she whispers.

“The Beldish, I think. They must have sent a hunting party out after us.”

Adelina looks at the ceiling above her, lost in thought. Fear flares in her energy.

“This is your tether making things worse,” I say. “I know it. You told me you aligned with passion. It calls to you when you're tied to him, doesn't it?”

She closes her eye and takes a deep breath. “Why… what did they want?”

“The Daggers came for Enzo.”

Her face falls. My heart breaks for her.

Explosions boom in the distance. Out the window, an arc of fire crosses the sky. The city is glowing red.

“Is that…?” Adelina asks.

A bolt of lightning illuminates the sky. We both see it at the same time. Warships dot the horizon, flying blue and white flags. The Beldish Navy is here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Chapter 18 is going to take a little more work than I hoped it would, so when I get to that chapter, it might take a couple days longer than I'd like for it to, but I'm still on track to get the first third of the book out fairly quickly. The last third of the book, which hasn't been written yet, will take even longer.


	14. Teren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teren helps them into the throne room. They confront Giulietta.

The ships fill the harbor, infesting the entire sea. Outside, the noise of war, from both the ships at sea and from the soldiers on the streets, is earsplitting. The Kenettran warships left the harbor to defend themselves, but they are vastly outnumbered by the Beldish.

Adelina forces herself to sit up. “We have to go,” she whispers. “Now.”

We rush downstairs, where the others have gathered. Sergio has horses ready for us; the other mercenaries have already dispersed.

“We will be surrounded by Inquisition forces.” I give Adelina a concerned glance. “Are you strong enough?”

“Yes,” she says. We mount our horses and ride them to the canals, where Teren has boats waiting for us. They are painted black so they blend in with the water. Above us, dark clouds rumble with thunder.

At the palace, Teren is waiting beside the canal, along with several Inquisitors. I jump adroitly out of the boat; the others exit as well. I keep my eye on him, not knowing whether he’s trustworthy or not.

“Do your work,” Teren tells Adelina. Outside of Giulietta, he’s probably the most recognizable face at the palace. Since he’s been banished, he’ll need to be disguised.

Adelina adjusts his features, changing the shape of his face and darkening his pale-blue eyes. She makes the rest of us appear to wear the white cloaks of the Inquisition. “Well done, Illusion worker.” Teren looks at me after I protectively take a step closer to her. “Don't fear for her,” he says. “We are allies, remember?”

We pass guard after guard as we make our way deeper into the palace. They don’t pay any attention to us; Adelina's illusions fool them. I marvel at how much gold lines the window frames and the lamps which illuminate the marble floors. What would it be like to have this much wealth?

When we approach the throne room, there are only a handful of guards around. She unravels Teren’s disguise. The Inquisitors guarding the throne room see him and stiffen.

“Stand aside,” Teren orders the guards.

They hesitate. One of them shakes his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I don't know how you got this far, but we'll have to escort you out of the palace. The queen has ordered you—”

Teren draws his sword and slashes his throat. Blood sprays from his neck as he crumples onto himself. Adelina weaves an illusion of pain over the second guard, causing him to collapse. Teren ends the second man’s life with a stab of his sword.

He opens the door to the throne room and steps inside. We follow him.

Queen Giulietta is waiting inside. The resemblance to Enzo is striking, with her dark hair and dark eyes, except her hair is longer and she is fully alive. She is wearing a heavy cloak and a warm green dress with fur trim; it is obvious she is getting ready to flee to less dangerous territory.

Raffaele is out on the balcony, sitting on a balira. He looks at us and frowns. Even though we are disguised, he is adept at detecting other people's energy. Just as I can recognize the Roses by the energy they give off, he must surely recognize us the same way.

“What is this?” Giulietta demands. “ _Guards_.” They don't come, of course, as they are lying dead in a heap right outside the throne room doors. She looks at us and narrows her eyes. “The White Wolf,” she says under her breath.

Teren smiles. “Hello, Your Majesty,” he replies.

Giulietta stiffens. She looks at us, and then to Teren. “You shouldn't be here, Master Santoro.”

“I live to serve your crown,” he says. He looks past her to Raffaele. “But you turned me away, Your Majesty, and let these other abominations near you.”

Giulietta frowns. “You do not serve me by being here.” She moves towards the balcony and looks to Raffaele. “See to it that your Daggers take care of this.”

Raffaele doesn't move. Behind him, other Daggers are circling around the palace on baliras.

“Seize him!” she calls out, pointing to Teren. Her face reddens with anger.

“We need to go, Your Majesty!” an Inquisitor shouts from the back of a balira, waving to her. She looks back at Teren before rushing to the balcony.

Adelina’s eyebrows are scrunched as if in thought. I expect her to reach out with her illusions and kill the queen. Instead, a slow smile creeps up her face.

She creates a tiny illusion of a wound on Giulietta’s wrist. Blood appears to drip from the queen's hand.

Giulietta turns livid when the Inquisitors don't obey her. “I said, _seize him!_ ”

The Inquisitors stand there, watching her stoically.

Teren approaches Giulietta, eyes full of tears. “You sent me away. I loved you. Do you know how much I _loved_ you?”

“You are a fool!” she snaps. “Do you still not understand why I sent you away? It is because I am your _queen_ , Master Santoro. You do not disobey your queen.”

“Yes, you are my queen!” he yells. “And yet you no longer act like one! You are supposed to be chosen by the gods. Pure of blood, perfection. But look at whom you surrounded yourself with!” He points to Raffaele and snarls. “You commanded that abomination to touch you? You accepted the Daggers as part of your army, in exchange for halting the cleansing of _malfettos_?” His voice becomes more anguished.

“And what are you?” Giulietta shouts. “You, my _malfetto_ Inquisitor? Have I not forgiven you for your abomination? You know nothing about how to rule! I would do the same for your fellow _malfettos_ , as long as they recognize their abomination, and serve me as my humble subjects.”

Teren's face darkens even further. When I look back at Giulietta, she has a strand of color in her hair—a lock of red and gold.

“You,” Teren whispers, looking at the illusion. “You have a marking?”

“A marking?” Giulietta raises an eyebrow in confusion.

“You've hidden it from me, all this time,” he whispers. “Covered by an apothecarist's work hidden by black powder. A marking. I know it.”

“What are you talking about? You have lost your mind, Master Santoro.”

“You are no pure royal. You were tainted by the blood fever, like your brother.” He sneers. “You are an abomination, a filthy _malfetto_ , just like me. And I gave you my _love_. And you _fooled me_.”

“Enough!” Giulietta shouts. She turns to her Inquisitors. “This is an _order_. Seize him.”

The Inquisitors continue to stand there, unmoving.

“Now I know why you always had such sympathy for those damn _malfetto_ slaves,” he cries. Tears trickle down his cheeks. “Asking for them to be properly fed. Asking for them to return to their homes. Now I know why you give yourself away to other abominations.”

“You are a madman,” she says. “You cannot tell sympathy apart from strategy.”

“You cannot be a pure-blooded queen chosen by the gods.” He holds out his hands to the Inquisitors, who had been pointing their crossbows at him; now, they point them at the queen.

Giulietta steps back. “What have you done to my men?” she asks. Her eyes widen.

“They are _my_ men,” Teren says. “They have always been mine. Not yours. You are under arrest, for corrupting the crown.”

Teren pulls out his sword. I gasp as he rushes to her, eyes full of madness—and stabs her through the heart.

His face is contorted in anger. “I do this for Kenettra,” he says, gritting his teeth. “I cannot let you rule like this.” He chokes on his words.

Giulietta holds on to him, then her strength drains out of her. Teren gently lowers her to the ground.

Adelina unravels the marking that she had woven into Giulietta's hair. Teren looks down at her and realizes what he has just done. His face fills with fear and regret.

“Giulietta? Giulietta?” Her life force continues to fade away and leaves her completely. Her blank eyes stare at nothing now. “We were supposed to fix the world together,” he cries, bending down on the ground to be near her. “What have you made me do?”

Giulietta is unresponsive. “Oh, gods.” He leans over her body and sobs.

“I suppose she is a pure-blooded royal, after all.” Adelina shrugs. “Now you know how it feels.”

“You!” he snarls, looking at Raffaele. He turns to Adelina, his grief turning to anger. “You did this to her.”

He points to Adelina. “Guards, attack her!”

I take out a dagger, ready to defend her, but such a defense is unnecessary. Not all the guards are Teren's. Some are Adelina's mercenaries.

The real Inquisitors move to attack, but the mercenaries stop them, attacking them instead.


	15. The Battle at Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Roses fight against the Daggers and Beldish navy for control of Kenettra.

We need to leave. This battle will finish at sea, not in the palace. I move to the balcony, where enemy ships fill the harbor all the way to the horizon. The Star Thief is nearby; I mimic her ability and call two baliras over.

On the other end of the balcony, Raffaele struggles with a couple Inquisitors before flying away on his balira. Sergio and Violetta hop on one balira, I get on another. The other two fly away to join the battle, while I circle near the balcony, waiting for Adelina.

The rain increases its intensity, soaking my clothes and running down my face. When Adelina appears on the balcony, I fly under her. “Jump!” I shout.

She hesitates, putting one leg over the balcony and sitting on the railing, breathing heavily. After jumping, she lands on the edge of the balira’s wing and begins to slide off, but I grab her hand and hold on for dear life. I pull her up, and she settles into the saddle, sitting in front of me.

I lean into her. “We have to keep up with the Star Thief,” I shout. “I can't mimic her if I can no longer see her.”

Violetta shouts at us from her balira. “Star Thief!” She points to my left. I direct our balira in her direction, and we soar into the battle.

The heavens are complete chaos. The sky is full of baliras carrying riders, some belonging to the Inquisition, others by Daggers, others by Adelina's mercenaries. It’s almost too much to take in. The Beldish queen is firing weapons at any Inquisitor she can see. Arrows whiz through the air, while cannons fire from the ocean below.

The Star Thief heads right towards us. She is so close, I can see the marking on her face. She lifts her crossbow and draws her bow, releasing a bolt.

Adelina doesn't react. She freezes in place. I push her down, and she narrowly avoids getting hit with the bolt. “Move!” I yell. It zips past us, but would have hit her if I hadn't reacted. Gemma fires another bolt at me, and I duck.

“We need to work on your reflexes, my love!” I shout, steering our balira to the left. Adelina doesn’t usually freeze when she’s not under the spell of one of her illusions. I wonder if she’s okay.

Gemma flies skyward. Adelina urges me to chase her. Instead of going where I direct it, the balira exerts its will and dives. The Star Thief must be manipulating it. I grit my teeth and concentrate harder to control it. It takes several moments to dominate its will, and once again we soar into the sky.

As we chase the Star Thief, we near the ominous clouds. The ships are so far beneath us, they look like toys a child might play with in a pond. When we reach her, Gemma’s balira tries to strike ours with its tail. I barely manage to steer it away.

Adelina’s face concentrates as she weaves an illusion in Gemma's mind. Gemma begins to panic. We’re so close I can see the terror on her face. Then I realize we have put ourselves in danger. The clouds are so close, the electricity from the storm raises the hair on the back of my arms.

“Adelina,” I say, breaking her concentration. “We have to pull back. We're too close to the storm!”

I point our balira down and look behind us. Gemma is above us, even closer to the storm than we were.

The sky lights up like midday, as a nearby lightning bolt strikes. It’s so close, I can feel its searing heat. As we continue to dive downward, I notice a ball of light sailing towards the earth. The lightning bolt hit Gemma. She plunges into the ocean. Adelina, seeing her former friend crash into the sea, sucks in a deep breath.

In the sea, all the warships are gathered around a central one. That must be Queen Maeve's ship. I steer the balira in its direction.

As we descend, I see the effects of the Daggers fighting in the battle. Kenettran cannonballs are unwound in midair. The waves around Kenettran ships are stirred up by Lucent’s powers. Numerous arrows sail through the air, attacking Inquisitors. The Beldish ships vastly outnumber ours. I have no idea how we have a chance at winning.

“Get closer,” Adelina shouts.

“If you have any clever ideas for how to do this without killing ourselves, I’m happy to listen,” I reply.

A cannonball fires in our direction. “Look out!” I warn. Adelina ducks and it misses us. I’m unable to fly completely out of the way and it injures our balira, who bellows with a terrifying roar.

Enzo is to our right, not far away. I wonder if our nearness will affect Adelina. He is shooting fireballs at the Inquisition ships, setting them on fire.

He looks in our direction, eyes full of flames of hatred. I hold on tighter to Adelina. He sends an enormous ball of fire at another Inquisition ship. It explodes with a blast of heat that feels like walking barefoot on a Domaccan road in the middle of summer.

“Get us closer to Enzo,” she tells me.

“As you wish, my love.” I turn the balira towards him. We sail past the burning ship. A crossbow bolt zips towards us, and I dodge it, steering our balira out of the way. Maeve flies next to us and points her crossbow in our direction.

Lucent is flying with her. She hits us with a blast of air, and our balira spins around. It takes all my strength to keep from letting go and falling.

Maeve jumps onto our balira, unsheathing her sword. I grab my own weapon and make a move to slash at her, but Lucent sends a blast of air and pushes me back.

"You little _coward_ ," she snarls, glaring at Adelina. I don’t think we’ll be invited to any Beldish parties anytime soon. Maeve lunges towards her.

At that moment, a cannonball hits our balira's other wing, and I’m knocked off the balira. I try to grab for Adelina before I plummet to the sea, but we’re too far apart. Adrenaline courses through my veins with fear for her.

When I hit the ocean, pain surges through my body. The marking on my back screams in agony at the impact, and I’m plunged into the water. I’m sure my injury has broken open again. Salt water makes the wound sting even more. I ignore the pain as much as I can and concentrate on finding the surface. When my head emerges from the water and I take a deep breath, I see the sky filled with an enormous illusion—a monstrosity with huge fangs that engulfs the entire storm.

Adelina treads water not far from me. I smile, knowing she's safe. My panic subsides, and I find it easier to breathe once again.

I can feel Lucent’s energy from somewhere around me. I mimic her powers and use the wind to pull us both out of the water and onto Maeve's warship. We land with a thud and I collapse to my knees.

“Surrender!” Teren shouts at Maeve. “And give your navy the order to retreat, or this bay will be your grave, Your Majesty.” I admire his confidence, because it looks to me like we may be on the losing side.

Maeve laughs. She looks out at the Beldish ships surrounding her. “Does this look like we should surrender, Master Santoro? We'll sit on your throne by noon.” Tristan lunges at him. Teren parries the blow.

I hurl myself in the air, mimicking Lucent’s wind power. There’s so much power available at my disposal, I can’t help but shout with joy. I knock Maeve onto her back with a blast of Lucent’s wind power, following that up with a column of fire, mimicking Enzo. Lucent pushes Maeve away with a gust of wind and the wooden deck catches on fire instead. I rush towards Maeve with a dagger in my hand, but Michel unravels it away.

There are more daggers in my pockets. I grab one and throw it at Raffaele, but Enzo blocks it with his sword. He was so fast I didn’t even see him move. The reanimated prince glares at me with a stare that would melt my insides if looks alone could do such a thing. _The feeling is mutual._

I turn to see Michel hanging from the ship’s forward rigging. I mimic Lucent’s wind power to fly me towards the bow of the ship, then use Michel’s power against him, unraveling the rope and recreating it on the deck of the ship. Michel falls towards the deck, only to be saved by Lucent.

Behind me, I sense someone. A Beldish soldier, rushing at me with a sword. I mimic Michel’s power to unravel the sword from his hand and reform it in mine. The soldier’s jaw drops as I grin at him menacingly. I lunge at him, and he ducks. When I slash again with my sword, he jumps into the ocean.

I turn around to see Maeve talking to Adelina. I use the wind to fly in her direction.

“Enzo!” Adelina yells.

“He knows the truth,” Maeve shouts. “He is one of the Daggers, one of _us_ now.”

Enzo approaches Adelina. “You are a traitor, Adelina.”

“I kept myself alive,” she replies.

Enzo shakes his head. “You kept so many lies.”

“I _love_ you,” she shouts back at him. My gut wrenches to hear her admission, even though it’s a truth I already know. “I didn't want to see an enemy nation use you for your own gain. They are taking your throne—can you not see that? Your Daggers are traitors!”

“You nearly killed Raffaele in the arena. You killed Gemma. Are you not using others for your own gain? Your new Elites? This war, your aim for the throne? Me? How could you?” His voice sounds pained.

“And who did I learn that from?” Adelina snaps. “ _Who taught me to use others for my own gain?_ ”

“I loved you once,” he returns. “But had I known what you did to Raffaele in the arena—had I known what you'd do to Gemma, I would have killed you myself when I had the chance.”

Adelina's face is full of tears. “ _I'd like to see you try!_ ”

Enzo shoots a fireball in her direction. I look on helplessly as she catches on fire. Suddenly, a balira, ridden by Sergio and Violetta, shakes out water over their heads, extinguishing the flames.

Both Enzo and Adelina drop to their knees. Adelina's face is hard with concentration. “You live because _I say so_ ,” she hisses through gritted teeth. “And you will _do as I command_.”

Enzo takes a deep breath. Raffaele cries out in protest as he realizes what is going on, but he is powerless to stop it. In that moment, Enzo sends out a massive wall of fire radiating out on all sides of him. It catches all the nearby ships on fire, then the ships farther out. The gunpowder in each ship catches fire, causing a chain reaction of explosions. Soon, the entire navy is aflame.

The fiery blast knocks me to my knees. I look around; everybody on the ship is stunned. Enzo slumps in exhaustion, his burn wounds on his arms reaching up to his elbows. The world grinds to a halt.

Teren is the first to act. His smile widens, and he points his sword at Maeve. “I want her head!” he shouts.

The Inquisitors rush in her direction, but her allies are too quick. Lucent picks Maeve off the deck with a gust of wind. One of her brothers grabs her and pulls her onto a balira.

The tension is thick on the deck. Raffaele walks to Enzo, kneeling on the deck and grabbing his hands. He looks between Enzo and Adelina, urging them to stop. I can feel his energy. It’s full of compassion, but even further, it calms all of us Elites.

Teren lunges for Raffaele.

“Violetta!” Adelina yells.

Violetta pulls away Teren's powers. He shrieks, face contorting in pain.

“You do not command me,” Adelina tells him angrily.

“If justice is what you seek, Adelina,” Raffaele says softly, “you will not find it like this.” He pulls Enzo up to his feet. He looks at Adelina sadly before helping Enzo onto a balira. They fly away in retreat.

Lucent and Michel board another balira and fly off. The battle with the Daggers and with Beldain is over.

On the ship, Teren snarls at Adelina. “I'm going to cut you open, little wolf.” He rushes at her. Adelina responds by throwing up illusions, but it’s not enough to stop him.

“Kill her,” Teren orders the Inquisitors, pointing at Adelina. “Now!”

The Inquisition soldiers pull out their swords and move towards her. Sergio makes a move, throwing daggers at some of them. Enzo is still close enough for me to mimic; I shoot bolts of fire at several of the other soldiers. They scream as their skin chars.

“Stop!” Adelina shouts. I stop attacking the Inquisitors but keep my eye on them. If they make any false move, I will hurt them, regardless of her request.

“You have hunted me and tortured me,” Adelina says, turning to the soldiers. “Now you have seen what I can do. And you have seen the power of my Elites. I have mercenaries at my back, seizing control of the palace. I have power that you cannot hope to defeat. I can be your enemy, and look on as you die, _or_ , I can be your ruler, and bring you glory you could never have imagined.”

Everybody on the deck is silent. The only sounds are the creaking of the wood in the ship, the flap of the sails, and the splash of water against the hull. The Inquisitors are thinking about what she is saying.

“Why are you fighting me now?” she asks. “Because your Lead Inquisitor tells you to? He is no better than an abomination himself. More importantly, he has met his match.” She looks around at the Inquisitors, who stand there, looking at each other as if unsure of what to do. “Follow me, and I will lead you to Beldain. We will take their country and have our revenge. We can seize Tamoura, in the Sunlands and far beyond. We will expand our empire in ways no one could have imagined. Give up this pointless campaign against _malfettos_. You fear our powers. And I know you want to live. If you follow me, I will shower you with everything you've ever desired.”

Her face darkens. “It is that, or death. You don't have much time.” She looks at me. I twirl one of my daggers nonchalantly. “So. What will it be, my Inquisitors?”

They stand still. A few bow their heads in respect.

Adelina points to Teren. “Chain him well,” she commands. “He is no longer your Lead Inquisitor. He is not your king.” She holds up her head like the queen she always imagined she would become. “ _I_ am.”

Several Inquisitors shift from one foot to the other. After a moment of indecision, one of the Inquisitors move against Teren, and the others follow, grabbing him roughly. The former Lead Inquisitor tries to fight back, but the battle has left him weak, and they’re able to subdue him.

“What are you doing?” Teren asks. “You cowards, you believe her—you _fools_.”

They pick him up and slap chains around his ankles and wrists. Teren glares at Adelina, his face full of hatred.

“Why don't you kill me, my little wolf,” he asks sorrowfully.

“Yes, I suppose I could,” Adelina replies, her voice flat.

“Then do it,” he growls. “And end this.”

Adelina looks at him with a hard expression. She pauses, then walks over, bends down to him, and whispers something in his ear. He stares back at her with a mixture of defiance and defeat in his gaze.

Adelina turns to me, Sergio, and Violetta. We wait for her next move.

“Let's go to the palace. _Our_ palace.”


	16. Queen Adelina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Roses return to the palace as victors.

Even though the sun is up in the sky, by the time the battle finishes, I feel exhausted and battered. We order the ship back into the harbor, then enter the castle as a group.

Sergio's mercenaries wait for us as we enter. They escort us inside the palace, ensuring we will have no trouble.

“Sergio is now our Lead Inquisitor,” Adelina tells the Inquisitors at the gate. “Violetta and Magiano are my assistants. Do whatever they say, just as if I had ordered it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the lead guard at the gate replies, bowing his head.

“Sergio, I trust that you will pass that order along to all our Inquisitors.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He bows his head.

Adelina and Violetta walk side by side in front of me, and I walk next to Sergio as we walk down the hallway to the throne room. The Inquisitors lower their eyes and move aside when they see us.

I look out the windows as we pass, noticing all the smoldering, sinking ships out in the harbor. _What a shame that so much destruction had to happen_.

Thousands of people have surrounded the castle. By now, they all have heard what has happened; if anything, they can see the evidence that something big happened overnight when they look into the harbor. They want to hear what their new queen has to say.

When we enter the throne room, I am impressed. The room is enormous. At the end of the room, a set of stairs lead up to a large, golden throne.

“Your Majesty,” I say as we enter. When she turns to look at me, I bow. “I'll leave you to prepare, then. No need for a thief on the royal balcony.”

“No more need for you to be a thief,” she replies.

I step closer to her. I want to reach for her hand, but I’m not sure if that would be appropriate. How do I interact with Adelina, the queen? I'm not a prince, like Enzo is, or was.

“A stunning victory,” I murmur.

For a second, I think I see in her face the spark I saw that night by the fire. It is quickly replaced, however, with one of sadness and fear. I wonder _what_ she is afraid of. She has everything she ever wanted.

“I couldn't have done it without your help,” she says. “And without Sergio's.”

I shrug. Will being queen be everything she hoped it would be? Sometimes there's a difference between the illusion of what we want and what we actually get.

“Just point me in the direction of the royal treasury, Your Majesty,” I say, turning around. I try to sound lighthearted, but don't feel that way. I don't really want to leave; I care about more than just money, but I don't know if that matters now. “Then you'll always know where to find me.”

Adelina sends an Inquisitor to show me the way. I begin to follow him, but pause to look back before leaving the room.

“Adelina,” I warn, “be careful.”

The Kenettran treasury room is below the main floor, down a set of carpeted steps. Several Inquisitors guard the entrance. The doors are heavy, covered with gold, decorated with a scene of Denarius and Fortuna. It feels strange to tell the guards to move out of the way and let me enter.

I look around and gasp. The room has a glow of its own. Piles and piles of gold cover the floor. Gems sparkle. I see diamonds. Sapphires. I pick up a large sapphire and admire it. Pet it.

 _This is all min_ e. I put a sapphire in one of my pockets, then lay down in a pile of gold and smile. I wave my arms and legs back and forth, making a gold angel. The coins clink as my arms move them. This is all that I've ever wanted.

I feel satisfaction. Emptiness.

I sigh. A wave of confusion hits me. Why am I not happier? This should be the best day of my life. But it isn't.

I shove some gold in my pockets and leave the throne room.

“Thank you,” I say to the guards on my way out as I head back to Adelina.

In the main hall, Violetta rushes towards me, running towards the exit. Tears streak down her face. Her energy is laced with fear.

I grab her by the elbow. “Violetta, what's wrong?”

“My sister—tried to kill me,” she sobs. “I have to go.”

“What? How?”

“She's having another illusion, I think. She's going to destroy herself.” Violetta shakes her head. “I can't stay.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. Anywhere but here.” I sense Sergio behind us.

Violetta looks at me earnestly. “Take care of her.” She wipes her eyes. “She won't admit it, even to herself, I think, but she cares about you. Be good to her.”

I nod and release her. “Of course.”

“You might be the only one that can save Adelina from herself.”

Violetta looks to Sergio. “I'll miss you.” She hugs him quickly.

“Stay safe,” he replies, returning the embrace.

I reach into my pocket and take out the gold coins, although I leave the sapphire in my pocket. “Take these,” I say, giving them to her. “You might need them.”

“Thanks.” Violetta takes the coins, turns away, and leaves.

I watch her leave, then notice that Adelina is yelling something from the throne room. Sergio and I rush to see what is wrong.

Adelina is sitting on the ground, crying. A dagger lies on the ground several feet away from her. I crouch down next to her, looking at her with concern.

“Get out!” she shouts at us. I sigh, turn around, and leave.

For a while, I pace outside the throne room door. Adelina's turbulent energy whirls like a hurricane on the other side of the door; I hear her cries. I feel frustrated; helpless to help her. The guards at the doors watch me, but leave me alone. Sergio returns to his duties as the new Lead Inquisitor.

After a while, the turbulence of her energy calms. My adrenaline from the battle and the night settles, and exhaustion catches up to me. I decide to leave, asking one of the guards to show me where the living quarters are. He leads me to another hallway with several rooms lining the corridor.

“These rooms are for the nobility. The Inquisition soldiers stay in another wing of the palace.”

“Thank you. I guess I’ll pick out my room then.”

Soldiers stand guard in the hallway, looking at me warily, but don't say anything.

I explore the rooms. At the end of the hallway is a set of double doors, painted with an image of Pulchritas rising from the sea, that leads to a huge room. It has a large, canopied bed with silken sheets. The walk-in closet is full of silk dresses that will probably fit Adelina, and drawers full of jewelry. This must have been Giulietta's room. It's Queen Adelina's now.

A door from Adelina's room connects to another bedroom. This room is a little smaller, but is also nice. The closet is not as full, but has a few items in it. The Lead Inquisitor's cloak hangs inside. This must have been Teren's room.

I search the other rooms in the hallway. Some look like they have been recently vacated. Others look like they are routinely empty and are only used for visiting nobility. As I explore, I pick up some of the treasures I find in the drawers and put them in my pocket.

After looking through all the rooms in the hallway, I claim Teren's old room as my own. I'd rather be closer to Adelina, and if she needs me or has a nightmare, I can be there for her. This would probably have been Violetta's room, but she's not here anymore.

I gather the items in my new room that I don't want, and hand it to one of the Inquisitors waiting in the hall. “Do what you want with these,” I say, handing him Teren's old cloak and a few other things. “I don't want them in _my_ room.”

“Yes, sir,” the Inquisitor says, taking the items from my arms. It will take some getting used to, having these white cloaks doing whatever I tell them.

The broken skin in my marking flares in pain. “Send a nurse with bandages,” I add.

The Inquisitor salutes and agrees to send someone right away.

I return to my room and sit at the ornate writing desk inside. A fountain pen rests in the corner, and there’s paper in the drawer under the desktop.

I get an idea. Since I can get people to do whatever I want them to, I can also get them to buy whatever I want them to. I put together a shopping list and hand it to a guard in the hallway. “Have someone get these for me.”

The guard looks down at the list. “How much?” he asks.

I shrug. “Just get some of each,” I say. “Maybe a pound. I want it today. If it works, I may want to get these items by the wagonload, but I don't need that much now.”

“Yes sir,” he says, bowing his head.

I sit on my bed and hear a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

A red-haired lady with green eyes, wearing a brown uniform, enters. “You called for a nurse?”

“Yes. I need you to bandage my back.”

“Of course, my lord.” She bows her head slightly. “I’m Sofia.”

I turn from her and undo the buttons on my shirt. When it slips to the bed, she gasps.

“How long has it been that way?” she asks.

“Since I was nine. It doesn’t bleed all the time, but it opened during the battle last night.”

“Lay down on the bed and I’ll take care of it.”

I obey, and she gingerly places a salve on my back. It stings. I inhale sharply.

“I’m sorry, my lord. That’s to prevent infection.”

 _I never worried about infection before_. “Fine.”

The bandages feel soft against my skin, which immediately feels better. When she is done, I sit up. “Thank you.”

She bows her head slightly. “You’re welcome.” Although she’s outwardly polite, I can see thinly disguised disgust on her face. “You should rest on your stomach. Let it heal for a bit.”

I lay on my stomach while she exits the room. Sleep washes over me like a wave on the Kenettran shore.

When I wake, the sun is lowering in the sky. I return to the throne room to check on Adelina. It's been hours since I left her.

“Open the doors,” I command the Inquisitors guarding the door.

“She told you to get out,” one of them says.

“That was several hours ago,” I say, irritation building. “I want to make sure she's okay.”

“I'm just following orders, sir,” he says, his voice rising. “She told you to get out.”

“She was frustrated," I say. “Open the damn doors!”

The doors fly open from the other side. Adelina stands in the doorway, wearing a crown on her head. She glares at the Inquisitors. “What was one of the first orders I gave today regarding Magiano and Sergio?”

“Your Majesty, I—I—”

“I ordered you to do whatever they say,” she says through gritted teeth. “Just as if _I_ had told you to do it.” She looks at me.

“But you ordered them to get out—”

“If Magiano orders you to do something that contradicts me, do it anyway,” Adelina says. “As long as he isn't ordering you to harm me, do it. If he displeases me, _I_ will deal with him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Both Inquisitors bow their heads.

“I will inform Sergio later, but my order to obey Violetta has been rescinded,” she says flatly. “But my decree remains in effect for Sergio and Magiano. _Especially_ Magiano.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I feel Adelina tugging at the energy around us. She is creating an illusion of pain in the Inquisitors. They wince; terror fills their faces. Then she releases the pain.

She looks at them with a venomous expression. “Let that be a warning to you,” she says. “Don't disobey me again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Adelina,” I say, placing my hand on her elbow. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” she says. I can tell she's lying.

“You should rest,” I say. “I've found your quarters. Let me take you to them.”

She nods, and I touch the small of her back as I guide her through the halls. “I don't know how you want to decorate it, Your Majesty, but it’s very nice.”

The guards open the doors as we approach. We sit on the bed next to each other. “I know you're not fine. I saw Violetta leave.”

She sighs. “Everybody I've ever cared about has betrayed me.” Her hands ball up into fists at her side. “My father _sold_ me! Not even to someone who wanted to marry me. He sold me to be a mistress. I wasn't even seventeen either.”

I put my arm around her waist, and she leans into me. “He's gone. You don't have to worry about him anymore.”

Tears well up in her eyes. “The Daggers betrayed me. Enzo said he should have _killed_ me when he had the chance! Even my darling _sister_ —she betrayed me. When my father tortured me, she sat and watched. He always bought _her_ nice dresses. I never got anything.”

I continue to watch her with concern, rubbing my hand over her hair as she cries.

“Adelina, I'm not them.”

We hear a knock on the door. “Yes?” I ask. A servant opens the door, holding a cloth bag. “I have the items you ordered,” he says.

“Yes, thank you,” I say, taking the bag from him. “Get me a pitcher of hot water.” I give Adelina a devious smile.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“You may remember, my love, that I was once a temple boy. One of my duties was to help people that came to pray to the gods. Sometimes we gave them herbal teas. There were teas for chronic pain, to end an unwanted pregnancy, prevent infections, aphrodisiacs…”

I feel my cheeks heat. “Anyway, there was this old crone that used to come to the temple,” I continue, hoping she forgets the last thing I said. “She had a lot of money to donate to the temple, but she had chronic hallucinations. Monsters in the dark, whispers from people that didn’t exist, that sort of thing. I would make her this tea that helped drive them away.” I look at her with a hopeful expression. “Anyway, it worked a lot better than the aphrodisiac. I think. I never tried that. I mean, I was eleven.”

“Well, this afternoon, I realized, since I’m now one of the richest people in the world, I can buy whatever I want. I sent a servant to the market to get ingredients for this tea, and I can make it for you.”

Adelina smiles. “Do you think it will work?”

“Hopefully.” I shrug. “It tastes like crap—and unfortunately, I know what crap tastes like, since people have thrown it at me before, but if it works, I’ll buy it by the wagonload for you.”

The servant knocks again on the door, carrying a tray with a pitcher of hot water and two mugs of it. “I figured you might need a cup too, My Lord,” she says, lowering her eyes.

“Thank you.” I take the tray and put it on the writing table, pour a glass of hot water, and mix the herbs. I hand the tea to Adelina.

She frowns. “What if it’s poisonous?”

“We need to get you a food taster, my love,” I say, wondering why she might think I would try to poison her. “But in the meantime, I’m willing to drink this myself, even though it won’t do me any good.” I take the cup from her and make a face as I take a sip. “Ugh, I told you it tasted like crap.”

I hand the cup back to her. “You have to trust someone, mi Adelinetta.” I look at her softly. “Is it okay if I call you that, Your Majesty?”

She laughs. “That’s fine,” she says.

She takes a drink and makes a face. “Let’s hope this works.”

We sit there quietly for a few minutes. I left the temple years ago, shortly before my twelfth birthday, so I don’t remember how long it takes to work. I remember the recipe well because the priests would beat me if I got it wrong.

Adelina smiles. “I think they’re going away.”

“Good,” I reply. “Rest now, my love. The people will want to hear from you tomorrow.”

“Violeta!”

I wake in the middle of the night to screams from the room next door. My first thought was that Violetta had returned, but the scream was too fearful for that to be the case.

I open the door to the queen’s bedroom without knocking.

Adelina was asleep, tossing and turning. The sky outside was turning from its dark midnight to a dark blue tinged with red. I sit on the bed, next to her, and touch her shoulder.

“Adelina, it’s okay,” I whisper. She whimpers.

I stroke her hair and continue to tell her it’s okay. Gradually, she calms, but she doesn’t wake up. When I feel her energy has settled, I kiss her cheek and return to my bed for the remainder of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments are always appreciated.
> 
> We're almost at the end of part 1. There are some chapters in part 2 that need a little more work, so it make take a little longer to publish the chapters after 17.


	17. A New Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelina and her Roses wake up as rulers of Kenettra.

The next morning, I wake to a knock on my door. “Master Magiano?” an unfamiliar voice calls from the other side of the door.

I sit up in my bed. “What?” I ask, clearing the fog from my brain.

The door opens. A maid with curly brown hair, piled high on her head, and bright green eyes stands in the doorway. “Master Magiano, I hope I'm not bothering you, but I want to let you know that the royal dining room is available any time you want to have breakfast.”

“Is Adelina going?” I ask.

“Uh—Her Majesty will be going as well, I believe.”

“I'll go with her.”

I hop out of bed, wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday. When we left Merroutas, I left all my clothes behind, and I haven’t replaced them yet. Now that we have money, I'll hire a tailor to make some. Since I don't have anything to change into, I get up wearing what I wore yesterday.

Adelina had the same idea. I go into the hallway and knock on her door, and when she answers, she's still wearing the same clothes I last saw her in.

The maid, whose name is Marie, takes us to the royal dining hall. The table is long, covered with a white tablecloth trimmed with gold lace. Adelina takes a seat at the end of the table, and I take the seat on the side of the table to her right.

The maid bows. “Your food will be out soon, Your Majesty, My Lord. If there’s anything else you desire, just let us know.”

Adelina gives a tentative nod, as if being catered to like this is something new and odd. Or perhaps I’m projecting my own feelings onto her movements.

As I watch, waiters bring out plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, and just about any other breakfast food I can think of. I laugh at the scene.

“Would you like anything else?” a waiter asks. Like all the other waiters, he’s dressed in a uniform made with Kennetra’s colors.

_Adelina will probably change those to silver, white, and black soon_.

“Yes, bring us a pitcher of hot water,” I say, looking at Adelina.

A girl with short blonde hair bows to us. “I'm Kyela. I was Queen Giulietta's food taster,” she says. “Would you like me to taste your foods for you, to make sure they're not poisoned?”

“Yes,” Adelina says, waving her hand. We watch her as she cuts a dainty bite from each of our foods, puts them on her plate, and eats them in front of us.

After we watch Kyela taste our food, we pile food up on our plates. Our waiter comes by with our pitcher of water.

Sergio enters the room, wearing the Lead Inquisitor's cloak and uniform. “Sergio!” I call out, waving my hand at the spread before us. “Come join us for breakfast!”

He sits down next to us. “You need to address the people today, Your Majesty,” he says. A waiter brings him a plate. Like our plates, it’s made of white porcelain with gold around the rim.

“I'll address them at noon,” Adelina responds. “Will you see to it that the people are informed?”

"Yes, Your Majesty.”

“This certainly beats the soggy bread and cheese we were eating a couple of days ago, doesn't it, mi Adelinetta?” I pour Adelina's herbal hallucination mix into a cup and stir it for her.

Adelina smiles at me. Sergio frowns.

“So what, are we now on a diminutive name basis with each other, Magiano?”

I pass the herbal tea to Adelina. “Not with you. Does Sergio even have a diminutive version? Magiano doesn't.”

“Magianito,” Adelina giggles. I make a face of disgust. “No?”

I shake my head.

She looks over at Sergio. “Even queens can have friends, can't they?”

Sergio looks at us incredulously. “Friends.”

I shrug. “And?”

Sergio watches Adelina drink her tea. She makes a face with the first sip. “What's that?” he asks.

“You remember I used to be a temple boy in Mensah, in Domacca,” I say. “We made all sorts of herbal remedies for people that came in.” I lower my voice. “This particular tea is for hallucinations.” I resume speaking in a normal voice. “We don't exactly want another repeat of what happened yesterday, do we?”

“I suppose not.” Sergio frowns. Would he have signed up for this mercenary job had he known Adelina would start having these issues? She got us the money she promised, at least. That's probably what’s most important to Sergio, especially now that Violetta left.

“I want both of my Roses to be on the balcony with me today,” Adelina says. She looks at me sternly. “And I _don't_ want you arguing with me about how you don't belong there because you're a thief, Magiano. You belong in my royal court just as much as anybody else.”

I look down at my breakfast. I'm not sure if I believe her, but I'm not going to argue.

“I'm need both of you to help rule this country,” she continues. “Assuming you are both willing. Sergio, you're my main mercenary and my war expert. I want you to be in charge of my troops. Magiano, I know I only asked you to help me get the throne, but I'd appreciate it if you would continue to help me. You can be my personal guard, make this gods awful tea,” she makes a face, “and help me keep things in line.”

“Anything for you, my love.”

Sergio frowns.

Adelina stands. “I need to get ready for today's address. I’ll see you both later.”

When I used to prepare for a night at the Night King's court, it would take me all afternoon. Today, I only have a couple hours, but the palace has staff that help me. I sit at my desk while Michaela, one of the court stylists, arranges my hair. She picks out an outfit from my closet for me to wear, and promises to have the tailor make new clothes of my own.

Shortly before our address, I go next door to see how Adelina is doing. She had her own stylist working with her. When I see her, I find it hard to breathe.

She is wearing one of Queen Giulietta's dresses. It is blue, made with fine silk, bedecked with jewels, and sewn with gold thread. I find myself smiling at how low-cut it is.

“How do I look?” she asks, looking up at me.

“Beautiful,” I breathe, looking from her face down to her chest and back. “Violetta is no longer the only sister wearing beautiful dresses. You are probably the loveliest queen in the world right now.”

I think she noticed my gaze, because she blushes. “You don't have to lie to me.”

“Lying is not part of my job description, Your Majesty,” I laugh. “You hired me because I am an Elite and a thief.” I give her a sly smile. “Although I can't promise that I'm not biased.”

I look at her bare neck. “You do realize that you have a ton of beautiful jewelry in your drawers, right?” Adelina makes a face at me. “I _am_ a thief, you know. Not that I'm going to steal your stuff—but I went through all of your drawers while you were—in the throne room by yourself yesterday.” I shrug. “I went through all the rooms in this hallway.”

“Do you think I should wear something in particular?” Adelina asks.

“Well, you do have this lovely sapphire necklace,” I state, heading to the drawer where I found it. “The stone isn't quite as big as the stone I got caught stealing from the Duke of Dalia, but you wouldn't want that one around your neck anyway.” I open the drawer and pick out the necklace. I hold it up for her. “The duke's gem would give you a backache.”

“It's lovely.”

I stand behind her and put the necklace around her neck. I brush her silver hair away from the golden links of the chain. Her hair’s a little longer than it was when we first met; I can tell that her stylist cut it evenly. “I never asked you about your hair,” I say. “What happened to it? I remember seeing you try to hide your eye behind your non-existent hair once.”

“Once, I got upset and cut it off,” she says. “I was so tired of my markings and my powers. I wanted them gone.”

She weaves an illusion of herself with long hair, the way it must have been before I met her. I reach out and touch it, moving it off her shoulder. It’s silky underneath my fingers. “Very nice,” I say approvingly. She weaves an illusion over her scarred eye as well. For a moment, I see what she could have looked like had her eye never become infected. I'm completely enchanted.

Then she removes the illusion over her hair. “It'll grow out again,” she says.

I don't say anything about her leaving the illusion over her eye. I once told her that her scar makes her who she is and she doesn't have to be ashamed of it, but if she's insecure about it, I won’t dwell on it.

We walk down the halls together towards the balcony. We pass one of the servants in a hallway, who gives me a funny look.

“What's wrong with your eyes, _malfetto_?” he says, looking at me.

Adelina spins around and glares at him. Almost instantly, he is on the ground, writhing in pain.

“This will be the only warning I give around here,” she says, releasing her pain illusion. The man's face is full of fear. “I will not tolerate anybody disrespecting Magiano, any more than I will tolerate anybody disrespecting me. Next time, I will not be so merciful. The punishment for disrespecting either of us will be instant death at my hands. Do you got that?”

“Y-y-yes, Your Majesty.” He bows his head while still cowering on the ground.

“Is that really necessary?” I ask gently, after we continue walking down the hallway. “You know what happens when you kill people.”

“Yes,” she replies. “I'm sure it will only take a couple times before word gets around. I’m tired of people thinking they can treat us however they want to because we're marked. Aren't you?”

“Of course I am.” I decide not to say anything more.

Sergio is waiting as we near the balcony. The crowd is murmuring outside. “Ready to go?” he asks.

A herald goes out onto the balcony ahead of us. “Citizens of Estenzia,” he says to the crowd. “The Rainmaker!”

Sergio walks out onto the balcony.

“Magiano!” I follow.

“Queen Adelina, the White Wolf!”

The crowd is quiet. Adelina walks out onto the balcony, holding up her head regally.

“People of Estenzia,” she says to the crowd. “We are now entering a new, glorious era in Kennettra's history.”

She looks around to the crowd. “We will no longer live in an era where _malfettos_ will be treated with suspicion and hatred. For far too long, we have been shamed, unwanted, and denied opportunities that were given to the unmarked. That ends today.”

“Ill treatment of _malfettos_ , from now on, will be punishable by death.” A murmur spreads through the crowd. “There is no need for anybody to be fearful, however. Anybody who is loyal to the crown has nothing to worry about. I will be your queen, and today, we will begin to restore Kenettra to glory.”

_Admirable speech_. I can feel the energy of the crowd, and realize that many are unsure and apprehensive, but I'm sure we can work to make this beautiful country great.

END OF PART 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Part 1. There may be a short pause before I start posting part 2.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Comments are always appreciated.


	18. Dumor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Roses take Tarannen.

One Year Later

“Ready for the battle tomorrow?” I ask, sitting on the edge of Adelina’s bed and preparing a mug of her anti-hallucination tea. We’re almost out of ingredients, but tomorrow is an important day and she’ll need to be at her best. Her tent, tonight located outside the town of Tarannen, which Adelina’s forces will take over tomorrow, has almost all the comforts of home. Today, we met some resistance outside the town, but our military was able to beat them back.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult,” Adelina replies. “Tomorrow should be a quick mop-up operation and a victorious taking of the town.”

“Exactly what I love to hear, mi Adelinetta.” I hand her the mug of steaming tea, and she takes it gratefully, although she still makes a face when she takes that first sip. “You’ve made so much progress in the past year: Merroutas, Dumor, and the Sealands are all yours. You are the conquering queen you’ve always dreamed of becoming.”

She looks beyond me, and her eyes widen. “Go away.”

I put my hand over hers. “Is it your father again? Remember, he’s not real.”

Adelina breaks out of her reverie and looks at me. “Yes, he’s here, in the corner of the tent. Lately, the whispers have been almost incessant. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Her eyes are shining with unshed tears.

“Finish your tea.” She gulps down the remaining liquid, hands me the cup, and slips under the covers. I place the cup on a nearby nightstand and lay down next to her on top of the furs. “Maybe they won’t be so bad tonight.”

She sighs. “I keep having the same nightmare over and over again. Almost every night now. I wake up, my sister is dead, I escape and think I’m waking up, only to discover that my sister is dead again. Someday I’m afraid I’ll never wake up from it.”

I kiss her forehead and stroke her hair, which has grown out to become a beautiful blanket of silver that covers her shoulders. I used to be able to calm her from her nightmares like this, but my presence doesn’t make much of a difference anymore. In the morning I wake her up, and her nightmares are usually dispelled. Recently, she’s woken up in a terror-stricken panic on more than one occasion.

“What would I do without you?” she mumbles, drifting off into unconsciousness.

“You’d probably have to go find a new best friend,” I say, continuing to stroke her hair.

“I don’t think I could ever find anybody else like you. Everybody else wants me for power, what I can do for them, or because they fear me. I know you’re just here for the money—”

“Shhh. You’re listening to the voices again. You know that’s not true.”

“Not true.” Her eyelids are drooping, but she frowns, as if she doesn’t believe me. I wish she could see herself through my eyes and could realize how amazing I think she is.

Her eyelids close again and stay that way. I continue to lay there and stroke her hair until her energy stills and her breath evens out in the peacefulness of sleep. Her nightmares will stay away for a few hours at least. I kiss her forehead and return to my own tent, which the Inquisitors set up not too far from hers.

Sometimes I can’t believe how amazing my life is. Whenever our army moves into a new land, I get to explore the villages, flanked by a few Inquisitors, of course, and loot to my heart's content. I have all the musical instruments I could dream of, my armor is gorgeously arrayed in gold and gemstones, and I am respected—or at least feared—by everyone I run into. I have everything that I could ever want—almost.

This morning was spent looting in the city of Tarannen, located in Dumor. The homes were mostly empty, vacated by civilians that fled at our arrival. I found a half dozen or so quality musical instruments and filled up my horse's saddlebags with gold and sapphire coins; Since I can't carry any more, I head back to the center of the city, where Sergio, the queen, and the rest of the Inquisition will be.

Sure enough, as I trot into the abandoned temple square, I see them, sitting astride horses in front of crowds of people. I ride my horse alongside the queen. Sergio shoots me an annoyed look, but I just wink back. He hasn't looked healthy lately. A few weeks ago, he came down with the flu and still hasn’t recovered; even though the weather has been warm, he wraps his heavy cloak around his shoulders like it's mid-winter.

"You are all looking magnificent this morning," I say to the Inquisitors behind me. They bow their heads respectfully. I'm not a big fan of Adelina's policy to kill anybody that disrespects me, but I know she means well by it. For most of our lives, we've lived in fear of the unmarked; now, they are seeing a little of what we've had to deal with.

She raises an eyebrow upon my arrival. “Treasure hunting?”

I nod. “It took me all morning to cover one district of this city.” I strum one of my newest lutes, admiring the sound. “We'd have to stay here for weeks for me to collect all the valuables left behind. Just look at this.” I hold it up for her to admire, although I know she's not a musician and wouldn't know the difference between a Sunland lute and one crafted by an apprentice. “Never seen anything this finely crafted in Merroutas, have you?”

I ride my horse closer to her. Another thing I found when I was out treasure hunting was the herbs I use to make her tea: yellow thistle, blue daisies, and blackroot. When we're at the palace, I always try to keep some stock on hand, but sometimes when we are out campaigning, our supplies are destroyed and I have to find more. I quietly show them to her, and Adelina surreptitiously hands me her canteen. I start to prepare her drink. Sergio sees me, and although he knows what I'm doing, he doesn't say anything. He's been having his own problems lately. His thirst is insatiable. After we won the fight against the Beldish navy, Adelina showed me some notes that Raffaele made about the Elites. Raffaele believed our powers were slowly destroying us, and that’s why Lucent broke her wrist when fighting with me in the arena when we resurrected Enzo. Raffaele's prediction about our powers killing us seems to be coming true.

“You slept poorly last night,” I murmur. She tries to hide the dark circles under her eyes behind an illusion, but I can feel it in her energy. At least nobody else is likely to know; not even Sergio.

“I'll sleep better tonight, after this,” she replies, pointing to the drink I'm preparing.

“I found some blackroot,” I say, handing the canteen back. “It grows like a weed here in Dumor. You should take another tonight, if you want to keep the… well, _them_ at bay.”

I watch her as she takes a drink. Her appearance has changed since she first took the throne. Besides her hair growing out, she has become more confident in who she is. She no longer feels the need to cover up her scarred eye with an illusion or a mask; she shows her new subjects exactly who she is.

I strum a few chords on my new lute. “I've been thinking, mi Adelinetta,” I say nonchalantly, listening to the sound reverberate from my instrument, “that I've collected far too many lutes and trinkets, and these delightful little sapphire coins.” My hand reaches into my saddlebag and pulls out several of those beautiful little coins with the gorgeous sparkling blue gems in the center, each of which is worth ten Kenettran gold talents.

Adelina laughs. Some of the Inquisitors behind us are surprised at the sound, because it's so rare to hear. “What's this? The great prince of thieves is suddenly overwhelmed by _too_ much wealth?”

I shrug. “What am I going to do with fifty lutes and ten thousand sapphire coins? If I wear any more gold, I'll fall off my horse.” Back at the palace, I've commandeered a room in the royal living quarters just for musical instruments. I send a servant in once a week to dust them.

“I was thinking you could dole it out to your new citizens instead. It doesn't have to be much. A few sapphire coins each; a handful of gold from your coffers. They're overflowing as it is, especially after Merroutas fell to you.”

Adelina frowns. The voices in her head are probably trying to plant doubts about my plan, but deep down, she knows I'm right.

“You want me to show these Dumorians some kindness.”

I stop playing my lute and give her a serious look. “I think it could reduce the frequency of attacks on you, yes. There was the assassin in Merroutas. Then, we saw the beginning of that rebel group—the Saccorists, wasn't it? When your forces set foot in Domacca.”

“They never got within a league of me.”

“Still, they killed several of your Inquisitors in the middle of the night, burned down your tents,” that's where we lost most of our supply of herbs for her drink, “stole your weapons. And you never found them. What about the incident in northern Tamoura, after you secured that territory?”

“Which incident did you have in mind?” Adelina asks, irritated. “The intruder waiting in my tents? The explosion on board my ship? The dead marked boy left outside our camps?”

“Those too,” I reply. There have been way too many incidents lately. I'm afraid that one day, these attacks might reach her. “But I was thinking about when you ignored the letters from the Tamouran royals, the Golden Triad. They offered you a truce, mi Adelinetta. Their northern strip of terrain in exchange for releasing their prisoners and the return of the farmlands near their only major river. They offered you a very generous trade deal. And you sent their ambassador back bearing your crest dipped in the blood of their fallen soldiers. I seem to remember suggesting something subtler.”

Adelina shakes her head. We often get into arguments like this. She's the queen, so it's always her call, but sometimes I convince her to show a little more mercy than she otherwise would. “I'm not here to make friends. Our forces successfully conquered their northern territories regardless of their deals. And I will take the rest of Tamoura next.”

“Yes, at the cost of a third of your army.” I sigh. “What will happen when you try to seize the remains of Tamoura? When the Beldish strike at you again? Queen Maeve is watching you, I'm sure.” I'm not her military advisor, but I try to talk sense into her sometimes. “Adelina, you're queen of the Sealands now. You've annexed Domacca and northern Tamoura in the Sunlands. At some point, your goal should be not to conquer more territories but to keep order in the territories you _do_ have. And you won't achieve that by ordering your Inquisitors to drag unmarked civilians out into the streets and brand them with a hot iron.” It was one of her latest decisions. I shudder to think of it.

“You think me cruel.”

“No.” I reflect on the thought for a moment. “Maybe a little.” I hold my thumb and pointer finger close together to emphasize _a little_.

“I'm not branding them because I am _cruel_ ,” she says without emotion. “I’m doing it as a reminder of what they've done to _us_. To the marked. You're so quick to forget.”

“I never forget.” My hand subconsciously moves to my side, where the priests stripped my flesh, trying to remove my markings. The priests that took away my name, so I don't even remember what my real name even is. They starved me. They beat me. How could I forget something like that? Shortly after Adelina became queen, I suggested that she outlaw the use of orphaned temple boys and temple girls in her realm. She wanted to replace them with children of the unmarked, but I convinced her to replace them with paid assistants. Some of the uber-religious were unhappy, but they had to deal with it.

“But branding the unmarked with your crest will not make them any more loyal to you.”

“It makes them fear me.” Her jaw tightens.

“Fear works best with some love,” I reply. “Show them that you can be terrifying, yet generous. Let the people love you a little, mi Adelinetta.” _Like I love you._

Her face hardens. Even though her first reaction was negative, I know she'll come around to my side. I look ahead, a small smile forming at the edges of my lips.

As we pass under a tall archway that sits at the entrance to the main square, Sergio carefully searches the buildings around us. He has an excellent eye for spotting danger. Domacca has been infiltrated by a rebel group called the Saccorists, whose name means anarchy, and his sharp eye has saved us on more than one occasion.

We stop in front of a crowd of Dumorian captives. They stand in front of our horses in chains. They are all unmarked; while I don't forget the terrible things that people did to me before Adelina become queen, she has a thirst for revenge, and part of me thinks she takes it a bit too far.

Adelina lifts her hand up; Sergio and I ride our horses away from her. Behind us, the Inquisitors also spread out. I can feel the fear in their energy.

She rides her horse a couple steps forward. “People of Dumor,” she calls out. “I am Queen Adelina Amouteru. I am your queen now.” She looks around the crowd. “You are all part of Kenettra and can consider yourselves Kenettran citizens. Be proud, for you belong to a nation that will soon rule all others. Our empire continues to grow, and you can grow along with it. From this day forth, you shall obey all laws of Kenettra. Calling a marked person _malfetto_ is punishable by death. Any abuse, harassment, or mistreatment of a marked person, for any reason, shall bring not only your own execution, but the execution of your entire family. Know this: The marked are marked by the hands of the gods. They are your masters and untouchable. In return for your loyalty, each of you will receive a gift of five Dumorian safftons and fifty gold Kenettran talents.”

Adelina looks at me, and I smile at her in return. The crowd murmurs in surprise.

Sergio hops from his horse, and along with some of his former mercenaries, walks through the crowd and picks out the stronger, healthier looking men and women. He compels them to kneel in front of the queen.

“You have the chance to join my army,” she says. “If you do, you will train with my captains. You will ride with me to the Sunlands and the Skylands. You will be clothed, and your families will be looked after.

I jump from my stallion and start dropping bags of gold Kenettran talents in front of them. Most of the people stare. One man grabs the bag greedily, spilling the coins onto the ground.

“If you refuse my offer, you and your family will be imprisoned. I shall not tolerate potential rebels in my midst. Pledge your loyalty, and I will make sure that promise is worth your while.”

On the other side of Adelina, Sergio whispers something to his men, and they disperse. He must sense danger. My alert level heightens.

I look around at the chosen captives. “Do you pledge?” I ask.

One by one, they pledge their loyalty. I indicate for them to rise, and the Inquisitors take them away. Sergio gathers more able-bodied captives, and we repeat the process. We continue this for about an hour.

One woman refuses to pledge. She spits at Adelina and calls her a Dumorian curse word. Adelina glares at her.

“You want us to fear you,” she growls in Kenettran. “You think that you can come here and destroy our homes, kill our loved ones—then make us grovel at your feet. You think we will sell you our souls for a few coins.” She gives Adelina a proud look. “But I am not afraid of you.”

“Is that so? You should be.”

“You can't even bring yourself to spill our blood.” She looks at Sergio, who is drawing his sword. “You have one of your lackeys do it for you. You're a coward queen, hiding behind your army. But you cannot crush our spirits beneath your Roses' heels—you cannot win.”

Adelina sighs and gives me a quick look of _I told you so_. Adelina dismounts her horse.

“The day will come when we strike you down,” the woman continues. “Mark my words. We will haunt your nightmares.”

The woman falls to the ground and screams. She claws at the dirt, then begins to have a seizure. Eventually, she falls unconscious.

Adelina looks at the rest of the crowd, challenging them with her eyes. “Anyone else? No?”

Adelina picks up the bag of coins I had dropped in front of the unconscious woman, then climbs back on her stallion.

“As you can see, I keep my word,” she says. “Do not take advantage of my generosity, and I will not take advantage of your weakness.” She throws the coins to a nearby Inquisitor. “Chain her up,” she commands. “And track down her family.”

A couple Inquisitors drag her away, and we deal with more groups of captives, who all take their money without complaint.

From the corner of my eye, I glimpse a flash of silver. Adelina tries to cast an invisibility illusion, but fails. A dagger has sliced her skin; I rush to her side. She is having trouble sitting upright in her seat. I offer to assist her, but she shakes her head. She probably wants to look strong in front of her new subjects.

Fortunately, no more daggers or arrows fly. Moments later, Sergio and his mercenaries appear in the square, dragging out five people dressed in sand-colored clothing. Saccorists.

I feel Adelina's anger in her energy. She weaves a massive illusion, turning the sky deep blue, then red. The crowd screams. Adelina weaves an illusion around the traitors, causing them to panic and grab at their throats. Sergio and the mercenaries release the men, and they fall to the ground, struggling to breathe. She expands the illusion to the rest of the crowd, who scream. Then she releases them from their pain.

After releasing the illusion, she addresses the captives. “There. You have seen it for yourselves. I will tolerate nothing less than your loyalty. Betray me, or any of my own, and I will make sure you beg for your death.”

The Inquisitors gather up the rebels and Adelina turns her stallion around. I follow her on my horse. When we get out of sight from the captives, Adelina starts to fall, and I catch her and pull her onto my horse.

I put my arm around her. “Back to the tents,” I say. “You need to get that wound sewn up.”

I wrap my arm around her waist and hold on to her tightly. She is exhausted. When we get to the tents, I pull her down from my horse. She leans on me as I take her to her tent. “Get a medic!” I order an Inquisitor.

I set her down on her bed and take off her cape. When the medic arrives, I direct him to sew up her arm. I grab a mortar and pestle and make a pain killer from willow bark. I add it to her normal tea ingredients, then sit down next to her.

“Your Majesty,” I say, handing the cup to her uninjured arm. “I added a pain killer to your tea.” She sighs in relief as she takes it from my hands with her uninjured arm.

I create a paste to prevent infection using other herbs in our supply kit. After the medic finishes sewing up her wound, I apply the paste and gently wrap a strip of cloth around her arm, then quickly kiss on her lips.

“Sorry, Your Majesty. I just couldn't help myself.”

Adelina’s eyes widen in surprise. “Shame on you, taking advantage of a helpless maiden like that!” she scolds me, teasingly.

“Ha!” I laugh sharply. “A maiden you may be, my love, but helpless you are not.” A couple newer Inquisitors guarding her in the tent give me an odd look. They must not be used to seeing Adelina interact with anybody this way. I'm probably the only person in the world that can talk to her like this without getting killed.

I look carefully at her. “But Your Majesty, I must say that even when wounded, you are the most dangerous girl I know. You could stop me if you didn't like it.” I kiss her again. “But I know you do.” She just smiles. I tell her to rest. She'll need it to recover quickly.


	19. Behind the Collapsed Archway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelina and her Roses return to Estenzia. While at the bathhouse, Adelina gets a message about her sister.

_Kennettra’s treasure, queen of the sea_

_Oh_ _how my heart sings when you see me_

_Jewels can’t compare to the fire in your heart_

_What would I do if we ever did part?_

I put down my lute and grab the tankard of ale that Nicolo, one of the sailors on the ship home, has passed to me. I take a large drink. We’re in the crew lounge below decks. The sailors like to listen to my music, and it’s good for their morale. My music calms them.

“I can see why she keeps you around,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “You must be her biggest fan.”

“Give him a break,” Amare, one of our newer recruits, protests. “Magiano’s one of us.”

Nicolo laughs. “I’m just giving him a hard time. Although pretty boy wears a little too much silk to be _truly_ one of us.”

I look down at my clothes. My silk shirt has diamond and sapphire buttons, but it’s a similar style to the coarse linen the other sailors wear. At least it’s not the golden, jewel-studded armor I wear when we’re campaigning. That does make me stand out. “I can do all the work anybody else does in these.”

Nicolo snorts. “Like anybody makes you work.”

I shrug. “I told her she doesn’t have to look out for me like that. But you know how she is. Overly protective.”

Amare raises an eyebrow. “You could say that. Why are you down here, anyway? I haven’t been here long, but I hear you’re one of her favorites.”

Nicolo coughs. “The favorite,” he says under his breath.

“What else am I supposed to do for these seven days? Besides, I like this work. The feel of salt water blowing against my skin, the rocking of the ship, I love it.” Working with the crew also helps me sniff out the rats, detect anybody that might be disloyal or might hurt Adelina.

“Anybody interested in a game of Tarok?” Ludoviko enters, shuffling a deck of cards. “Magiano?”

“You know he cheats,” Nicolo says.

“I do not!” I stand up. “Can’t stay though. Have to go to a strategy meeting early tomorrow morning, and need to check up on Adelina’s arm.”

Nicolo makes a kissing noise. I glare at him.

“Gotta make sure the medics are doing their jobs. Just sayin’.”

He rolls his eyes. “You know you’re just going to go play at couch quail.”

I make a rude gesture. “I think not. Queen Adelina is a lady.” Although I wouldn’t pass up the chance if given the opportunity.

“That means he’s not,” another sailor says.

The sailors laugh as I shut the door behind me to leave for the officer’s quarters.

When we get to Estenzia, the harbor is a buzz of activity, full of sailors shouting and longshoremen unloading the ship. Adelina’s carriage is waiting for her.

“Take the public route,” she orders the driver, climbing inside.

I reach through the carriage’s open doorway for Adelina’s hand. “Are you sure you want to do that? The Saccorists—”

“Are a concern, yes.” She lowers her voice. “As are dozens of other groups, Magiano. I can’t let them stop me though. I won’t. If I let them dictate what I do, it’s a show of weakness.”

I sigh. “Stay safe, then.” I hope down from the carriage step and close the door. It rattles off down the cobblestone street. I have to wonder: is it more important to show strength, or to stay alive?

My carriage is waiting behind hers, but I shake my head at the driver. “I think I’ll walk today.” Walk, and observe things along the route. Along the way, I keep myself hidden among the buildings, looking for potential trouble spots. I climb on the rooftops, searching for danger. Look for assassins hidden in alleyways.

Climbing to the top of a building, I spot protesters up ahead. I jump from the roof to the top of Adelina's carriage, landing with a thump. A protester darts out into the street in front of her. I glance quickly at Adelina before jumping to the street in front of her carriage and pulling out a knife.

"I think you're headed in the wrong direction," I tell the protesters, waving my knife.

The protester hesitates when he sees my knife, then frowns with an air of determination. “She's starving us to death!” he yells. “This _demon_ , _malfetto_ , false queen!”

The protester’s eyes bulge out; his hands grab at his throat as he tries to scream. Adelina pulls at the energy threads around him to create an illusion of something painful happening to him.

“Now tell me again,” Adelina says from behind me, “What were you saying?”

She pulls at his threads until he collapses to the ground, unconscious. She doesn't kill him, however. I think she's trying to prevent the nightmares and hallucinations that inevitably come after each kill.

I stand over the unconscious man and look at Adelina. “Adelina,” I say, looking at her expectantly.

“Get him out of the street,” she commands. “And have him sent to the Inquisition Tower.”

I grab the protester and drag him to the side of the street. “You heard the queen,” I say, pointing to the closest Inquisitors. “Keep a better eye on our path, or I'll make sure you are all tried for treason,” I tell another nearby Inquisitor.

The guards around me straighten and attempt to focus harder. “That's better.”

I hop through the window of Adelina's carriage and sit beside her. “I don't remember protests happening quite this often.” I'm worried about her. Many of the people are unhappy. It only takes one disgruntled person to hurt her, if the circumstances are right.

“When we reach the palace,” she says, “have the Inquisitors brought to the tower for questioning. I don't want a rat in my midst, plotting behind my back.”

I sigh. “It will be impossible to catch all the rats, my love,” I say, brushing my hand against hers. “Sooner or later, one will squeeze through the cracks. You need to be more careful.”

She looks at me for a moment. I can see on her face that doubts flicker through her mind, but I don't know what she's thinking. “In good time, we won't have to use violence to get our way. The people will eventually realize that the marked are here now, that we will remain in power. Then we can live in peace.”

“Peace,” I reply. “Of course.” Is this the kind of peace we are looking for? We were treated terribly before Adelina took the throne, but do we have justice now? The marked are now doing the same things to the unmarked that we used to complain about us doing to them. Is this what we want?

Adelina raises an eyebrow at me, as I hop onto the seat in a crouching position. “No one is forcing you to stay here, of course, in service to me. You are free to come and go as you wish. You're an Elite, after all. The greatest of mankind.”

“No,” I frown. “No one is forcing me to stay.” _I stay because I want to be with you. Because I want to make sure you're safe. Because I care about you. Why are you so willing to send me away_?

I jump out the window. “Happy ride, Your Majesty. I'll be in the baths, soaking off the dirt of this journey.” I hope she'll follow me there later.

I take a shortcut to the palace. After reaching the royal living quarters, I quickly change and head towards the baths. On the way there, I spot Marie, one of the maids.

“Master Magiano,” she says, bowing her head in greeting.

“Marie,” I reply. “How is your father doing?” Before I left for Dumor, she had asked for some time off because her father wasn’t doing well.

“Sadly, he's getting worse,” she says. “He had a good day the other day though, and I took him to see _The Temptation of the Jewel_.” The previous king and queen had banned that play for years because Chirsley wrote it about my attempt to take Queen Giulietta's crown jewels, but Adelina now allows it to be performed.

“No kidding?” I laugh. “You know that play is about me, right?”

She shakes her head. “No, I didn't know it. Were you the clever boy?” She gives me a flirtatious smile.

“Actually, I was.” I pause for a moment, beaming proudly. “I never did get the queen's jewels though. Well, now I guess I can see them whenever I want.” I laugh again. She smiles back.

“Look, I'm going to the baths,” I say to her. “Could you bring me some wine and a plate of fruit? After a week at sea, where the food isn’t that great, I'm a little hungry.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Thank you. And tell your father I wish him well.” I turn away from her and continue to the baths.

Walking away, I shake my head, thinking about our conversation. I'm starting to get the feeling that she might like me. Very unfortunate. I don't want her to think I might be interested in her. She seems nice enough, but she's not my type. I may have to have her reassigned if she continues to behave this way.

The bath hall is empty when I arrive. I take off my robe, which puddles at my feet. I dip myself into the pool and immerse myself in the warm water. Steam rises from the surface of the pool. I can't see the other end of the pool, but I think about the collapsed archway at the other end. There is a small opening in the archway that leads to another, more private room. If Adelina comes, I want to show it to her.

I swim a couple laps, then close my eyes and enjoy the feeling of the water swirling around me. _What am I going to do?_ Adelina and I are friends, but should I just give up hoping there ever being anything more? Earlier today, it seemed like she would be fine even if I left. I don't want to go, I care about her, but should I just give up on our relationship becoming anything more?

“Master Magiano?”

I open my eyes. Marie is standing by the side of the pool, holding the wine and fruit I requested. She sets down the fruit, and I grab a strawberry. “Thank you.”

She gives me an odd look. “I thought I should tell you,” she says hesitantly. “There are rumors in the palace about you.”

People have been saying things about me practically since I fled the temple as a little boy. "What are they saying?"

“Well, they've been saying that you and the queen are sleeping together. Is that true?”

I frown. “Who or what I sleep with is none of your concern.”

I feel the energy change in the room. _Adelina's energy_. She decided to come here after all. I smile at the thought.

Marie giggles. “ _What_ you sleep with? Like chickens?”

I focus back on Marie for a second and laugh. “No, I'm not into chickens.” _I’m not really into anything right now, although I spend far too much time dreaming about Adelina_. “But even if I was into chickens, it wouldn't be any of your business. Unless you had to clean up the feathers. And then, just clean up the feathers and don't worry about how they got there.” I don't want to talk to her about this.

“Yes, my lord.” She hands me my wine. “But, wouldn't a real girl be better than chickens?”

Marie looks up and freezes. I hear Adelina behind me. Fear descends upon her face like a cloud. “Your Majesty,” she says. She stands up and bows.

I turn around. “Your Majesty,” I say. “I'm sorry, I didn't hear you enter.”

Adelina motions for Marie to go, and I watch her exit. I turn back to the queen.

“Do you wish to bathe alone, Your Majesty?” I ask, starting to rise from the pool. I hope she wants me to remain.

“Stay,” she replies. “I could use some company.”

I smile. “Just _some_ company? Or mine?”

We move towards each other in the pool. “Well,” she responds, “You're certainly better company than Teren.”

“And how is our favorite madman doing?”

“He's… not healing like he used to. There are chafes on his wrists that are constantly bleeding.”

“Are you sure?” I frown. Teren used to be indestructible.

“I saw it myself.”

Raffaele predicted in his notes that our powers would eventually kill us. Adelina would probably succumb to her illusions. Sergio may one day die of dehydration. Is this what's happening to Teren?

“And how have you felt lately?” I ask softly. “Your illusions?”

“I’m fine,” she replies. The tone of her voice makes me doubt her though. “We will sail for Tamoura in a few weeks' time, and as always, I want you at my side.”

“Invading the great empire of Tamoura already?” I ask, raising my eyebrow. “Restless so soon? I've barely had the chance to unpack all of my possessions.” We just pulled into port this morning.

“You're not excited,” she states. “I thought the great Magiano would be intrigued by all the gold that the Sunlands hold.”

“I _am_ intrigued by it. And, apparently, so are you. I only hesitate, my love, because of how soon it has been since we were in Dumor. Tamoura's not a weak nation, even after losing their northern territory to you. They are an empire, with three kings and a strong navy. Are your men rested enough for another invasion?”

“Tamoura will be my crown jewel,” she replies. She studies me for a moment. “You still pity Dumor, for what I did to them.”

I stop smiling. “I pitied them for losing their country. But I do not pity them for looking down on the marked.” I step closer to her. “The fire in you burns as fiercely as it did when I first met you. You'll make Dumor a better place.”

“When did your heart become so soft?” she asks. “When I first met you, you were a hardened thief who delighted in taking others' belongings.”

“I stole from vain noblemen and arrogant queens. Drunkards and fools.” _Not from poor shopkeepers and bar maids._

“And do you miss that life?”

I think. It wasn't a bad life. I had freedom, and I had enough to enjoy life with. But I didn't have Adelina's friendship.

I drift even closer to Adelina. We're close enough that her arm brushes against mine. “I have everything I could ever want here, Adelina. You've handed me what feels like the world's riches, a palace, a life of luxury.” I draw even closer. “I get to be at your side. What more do I need?” _Other than wanting to be closer to you_. _But is that what_ you _want_?

I reach up and touch her chin. “I’m looking forward to seeing you become Queen of the Sunlands.” I look into her eye, thinking about how far she has come from when I first met her, how she had such big plans and wanted to make the world a better place. She's not perfect, but she's trying.

My eyes light up, remembering the collapsed archway. “I found a secret place,” I whisper into her ear. Her hair tickles my lips. I grab one of her hands under the water. “Come with me.”

Adelina laughs. “Where are you taking me?”

“I'll beg your forgiveness later, Your Majesty,” I pull Adelina to the far end of the pool. There, the pool splits off into two smaller chambers: one, a smaller chamber, open chamber, and the other, my secret space under the collapsed archway.

We stop in front of the collapsed archway. “Behold,” I say, motioning to her. “Revel in its majesty.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Are you trying to impress me with a collapsed archway?”

I shake my head. “No faith. No faith at all.” I look at her and smile. “Follow me.” I take a deep breath and descend, grabbing her wrist on the way down. She seems resistant, so I resurface.

“Don't be afraid,” I say, smiling. “You're with me.” I descend again, grabbing her hand, and this time, she follows. I swim down into the hole. The water is dark around me. On the other side, I reach for Adelina's hand and we swim upward together.

After we surface, I look at Adelina expectantly. She gasps when she sees the walls. It’s covered with slightly glowing, blue-green moss.

“Amazing, isn't it?” I ask, “how quickly life finds a place for itself when no one is around to keep it out?”

“What is this?” she asks, reaching out a hand to touch one of the damp walls.

“Faery moss,” I reply, admiring the walls with her. “It thrives in damp caves in Merroutas too. Once it finds a good slit on the wall where it can seed, it spreads everywhere. They'll have their work cut out for them once they fix the archway and reopen this chamber.” I grin at her. “Let's hope it takes them a long time.”

She smiles at me and draws closer. “I suppose you come in here often then,” she says, half-teasing. “Bringing your maids and admirers?”

I frown. I'm sure she didn't hear my conversation with Marie earlier, but did it bother her to see me talking to someone else, like it bothered me when she was with Enzo, before he went back to the Daggers?

“You think I’m bedding every maid I speak to?” I shrug. “Flattered, Your Majesty. But you are very wrong.” I've never been with a girl before; before Adelina, I had never been in love. I'm sure, with my position in the castle, that I could fuck any maid in the palace I wanted, but that would be all it would be. Just satisfying my natural male curiosity. Why would I do that when Adelina is the only girl I've ever wanted to touch?

“So, what you're telling me is that you come to this secret space alone?”

I tilt my head and smile. “What's wrong with a thief wanting a little private time now and then?” I draw closer to her, suddenly aware of her naked body next to mine. “Of course, here you are. I suppose I'm not alone, after all.”

I draw even closer. My lips are almost on hers. “Do you still remember the fire?” I ask hesitantly, hoping that moment in time meant something to her like it did to me. “Under the stars?”

“I remember what we were doing,” she says, a smile playing at her lips.

I laugh, then look straight at her, serious. “You asked me whether or not I miss my old life. Do you know what I miss the most? That night.”

Adelina looks sad for a moment. “And what about the girl you once sat beside, on that night? Do you miss her too?”

“She is still here,” I answer. “That is why I stay.”

I bring my lips to hers and wrap my arms around her back, pulling her closer to me, pressing my chest against her breasts. I kiss her jaw, her neck, and continue, kissing lower and lower down her neck. She sighs and wraps her arms around my back. My kisses return to her lips; she responds eagerly.

There is nothing but her right now; nothing but her, the warm water, and the faint glow of the faery moss. The pounding of my heart. I want nothing else, except more of her.

“Your Majesty,” I whisper, “you'll ruin me.” I want nothing else than to be with the girl I'm kissing right now. My arms wrap around her more tightly. I feel her stomach, her thighs, her legs press against mine. I realize I've pushed her against the stone at the end of the wall. The moss is soft against my arms.

I think I hear something from the other side of the archway, but I pay no attention to it. I kiss her more intensely, but the voice won't go away. “Your Majesty? Your Majesty? There is an urgent letter for you.”

_Go away_. _Her Majesty is busy_.

“She's not here,” another voice says.

_Go away, nasty voices_.

“The bathhouse is empty. She's probably off slitting some poor fool's throat.”

_No! She's busy with me and I don't want to share her with you_.

Adelina pushes me away slightly and gives me an apologetic smile.

“You'd better go,” I whisper, disappointed. “Far be it from me to interrupt something urgent.”

“Magiano, I…” She looks at me for a moment, searching for the words to say. Not finding them, she takes a deep breath and submerges, heading back to the other side of the wall.

I sigh, take a deep breath, and follow her. As I swim, muffled voices speak to Adelina. When I exit the tunnel into the main bath hall, I see a very pleasing view of her bare back side; _very nice_. I emerge from the water behind Adelina and shake out my braids. If the staff wasn't gossiping about us sleeping together before, I'm sure they'll be talking about it now.

“You mentioned an urgent letter,” Adelina says. Two of her messengers are standing by the side of the pool. One of them seems to be distracted; perhaps it was from fear of what he just said, thinking she couldn't hear him. “What is it?” Irritation laces her voice.

She wades to the side of the pool. The other messenger hands her a letter. She opens it and stiffens.

I swim up behind her to see what the letter says. It's from Raffaele, saying that Violetta is dying. I shake my head.

“It's a trap.” Why else would he send her a message like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter took a while. This section is more challenging to edit than part 1. Comments are always appreciated.


	20. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelina holds a party at the castle before they go to Tamoura.

After the messengers interrupt us in the bathhouse, Adelina never mentions the evening again. Maybe showing her my private pool was a mistake. Maybe I pushed her too much. Although she seemed to enjoy being with me, maybe she was only going along with what I wanted because she cares for me as a friend and didn't want to hurt my feelings. It was probably a good thing we were interrupted. That evening was so intense, we might have taken things too far if we had the opportunity, and it might have ruined our friendship.

We immediately make preparations to go to Tamoura after returning to the palace. While I’m looking forward to expanding Kenettra's territory, knowing that the Daggers are there dampens my spirits a bit. If Raffaele is there, Enzo will be there too. I'm not his biggest fan, to put it mildly. I hate what Adelina’s bond with him does to her: her nightmares have increased since Maeve brought him back from the dead, and I’m afraid that once we get to Tamoura, their nearness will cause her illusions to get worse.

Tonight, however, we’re having a party at the palace. Lanterns are strung up throughout, brightly lighting the courtyard. On the far end of the courtyard, tables overflow with food from all over Kenettra. Adelina, Sergio and I, along with a few of the other high-ranking nobles, sit at a rectangular table facing the festivities. Smaller circular tables dot the perimeter for guests to sit at when they wish to rest. Uniformed servants circulate carrying silver trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. All the noblemen of Estenzia are in attendance, wearing their finest clothes.

It's obvious that Adelina is not feeling well, despite the festivities. She's picking at her food, has barely touched her tea, and has pulled out the message from Raffaele so much that the words are now almost illegible. She's never been apprehensive before a battle before; I don't know whether she's upset about Violetta's condition, about having to confront the Daggers again, or both.

I nudge her with my elbow. “You’re not feeling well.”

She halfheartedly smiles. “Just thinking about Violetta.”

“Want to talk about it?”

She shakes her head. Adelina’s always been reluctant to talk about her sister.

I put my hand over hers. “If you change your mind, I’m here for you, you know that, right?”

“Of course.”

After eating, I serenade the guests with my music, including my newest composition, “An Ode to Adelina.” Many of the guests dance; some sing along, and others challenge me with songs to play, cheering when I meet their challenge. I laugh at the thought of them trying to stump me with music; I've been playing ever since I stole my first lute at age twelve, and even then, music came as naturally to me as twinkling comes to the stars in the sky.

Adelina is sitting at the royal table, talking to Sergio. His battle map is unfurled over the table. At least talking strategy will probably take her mind off her sister.

At the end of the hall, the band enters, wearing uniforms of black and silver with a wolf’s head embroidered in the front. My services aren’t needed anymore. I decide to leave the party and see how long it will take for Adelina to notice my absence. I pause when two Inquisitors drag in an old couple, a young lady, and a little boy, all tied up. The Inquisitors shove them to the ground in front of the queen. The crowd cheers, their energies radiating bloodlust. I frown.

“Your Majesty!” an Inquisitor calls out. “Found these four in the streets and brought them in for you. I overheard one using the word _malfetto_. Another was trying to pass as one of us with false markings.”

The crowd jeers and curses, like I used to remember seeing happening to marked people before Adelina became queen.

“Burn them all!” someone in the crowd yells. The rest of the audience cheers.

I look over at Adelina and shake my head. _We don't have to be monsters just because they were_ , I think. _We can be better than that_. An Inquisitor lights a torch, and I sigh.

“Release them,” she says. “And get on with the celebrations.”

The crowd’s cheers die down. This is certainly not something they expected. Darkness creeps along the floor into the edges of the room. Is she accidentally creating an illusion? The guards force the prisoners on their knees to thank her. I've definitely had enough of this party. I leave for one of the quieter hallways. Maybe Adelina will notice my absence and look for me.

I wander to the royal living quarters and sit down in the hallway, playing my lute. I shouldn't be that hard to find. After a while, I realize she might still be at the party, so I go back down to see if she's still there. I spot Sergio, guzzling another glass of water.

“Have you seen Adelina?” I ask.

“No, she left a while ago. She probably went looking for you,” he snorts.

I frown. She hadn't been feeling well earlier; I wonder if she's okay. My heart starts racing as I start to panic.

“You!” I say to a couple Inquisitors “Come with me. The queen is missing.”

We walk through the gardens, look down a few hallways, and still don't find her. I climb a winding staircase up to a little-used part of the palace. Looking down that hallway, I see her.

Her face darkens. “I thought I told you to get out,” she says. She must be having another hallucination.

I walk towards her, slowly, as one would approach a wild animal. She can be dangerous to herself and to others when she's like this. I carefully reach out to her, and she screams. She falls backwards on the ground in an attempt to get away from me.

“It's okay, Adelina,” I say softly. “It's me.”

I approach her and reach out to her. Her eyes are wide with fear. I wonder if this is like what Violetta experienced the day she left us.

“You don't need to be afraid,” I say, kneeling down and grabbing her wrists. She fights against me, trying to get away, but I know she's not seeing me. She sees something else. Maybe her father. “It's okay, it's okay,” I whisper, my voice barely a breath so the Inquisitors don’t hear me. “Wake up.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, crying. “I'm so sorry. I'm not lying. I don't know where Violetta is—” She stares off blankly at the other end of the room.

“Wake up Adelina,” I plead with her, more earnestly. “Your Majesty? Adelina.”

Her expression finally changes. She sees me. Her face reflects sadness and fear, but her fear is no longer of me. She's afraid of her illusions.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her close, relieved that she's back. She sobs into my chest and returns my embrace.

“How do you always manage to find the worst hallway to lie down in?” I scold her playfully. I lower my voice to barely a whisper. “I was so worried about you, my love. You’re going to be okay. I’m here for you. I always will.” I stroke her hair softly. Tears run down her cheek, wetting her lashes.

After a while, her sobs stop. “I'm fine,” she says.

I pull back just enough to look into her eyes. “You weren't fine just a few moments ago.”

She wipes her tears. “Why did you come up here, anyway? Did you hear me calling for you? Was it because of what happened outside?”

I look at her for a moment, surprised. “You were calling for me?” I shake my head. “I'd hoped you would come looking for me.”

She looks up and notices the Inquisitors behind me. I know that's not what she wanted to see. She always tries to present herself as being strong, even though she has weaknesses, just like we all do.

Adelina suddenly looks exhausted, like she often does after her illusions get out of control. She leans into me, and I pick her up, my hands reaching under her legs.

“She’s had a long day, making plans for going to war and all. I think she needs to go to bed,” I say to the Inquisitors with a wink.

I carry her back to her room, lay her on her bed, and kiss her forehead. She's going to have nightmares tonight, and I’ll be powerless to stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	21. Captured!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adelina and her forces attack Tamoura.

We set sail for Tamoura the next day. The sky is a gorgeous blue color dotted with fluffy white clouds. I don't mention Adelina’s loss of control over her illusions from the night before, any more than I mention that all the countries we have conquered are places Violetta was rumored to have been. There's no reason to bring it up.

As the weeks at sea pass by, I overhear some of the ship's crew gossiping about the queen going mad. Not when they know I'm around, of course; they wouldn't be that careless.

The sea turns an odd gray color when we get close to Tamoura, about three weeks after we leave Kenettra. The winds have died down to practically nothing, and our ship is nearly at a standstill. I’ve never seen anything like this before, although I remember old sailors talking about things like this before.

I spend the afternoon in the crow's nest, looking for any signs of land. The darkening sky from Sergio's storm and the black reflection of the storm from the water fill my vision.

On the deck, Sergio and Adelina are talking to each other. Adelina looks lovely today. She wears gleaming armor and has her hair in tight Kenettran braids. I take a moment away from my duties as lookout to admire her. I could look at her all day, but I force myself to return to scanning the horizon.

There it is. Off in the distance. “Your Majesty!” I call. “We've sighted land!” I slide down the rope attached to the crow's nest, wrapping my shirt around the rope to prevent rope burn, and jump the last several feet in order to land next to them. “That is Alamour, my love.” I point to the barely visible strip of land. Alamour is surrounded by a high wall; the rest of the area is a huge cliff, which is why attacking this city is so difficult. We will fly baliras in, allowing us to bypass the wall. Normally, the desert air is too dry for baliras, but Sergio’s storm will allow us to fly inland.

Sergio rests his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I haven't heard their bugles sound, but if they haven't seen us yet, they will soon. Half of our fleet is going to sail into their western bay.” He draws an imaginary picture of what he is thinking about in the air. “The west is their main harbor, difficult to enter because of the narrow passage in. The east is an easier bay to access, but full of sharp rocks. This is where the other half of our fleet—where we ourselves—will enter. We can sail in, but we can't dock. So we'll call our baliras instead.” Sergio looks to Adelina. “I hope you feel rested, because we're going to need you to conjure one vast illusion of invisibility for us.”

She nods. “And are the baliras ready?”

“They're ready.” Something in his voice sounds wary, however. “The baliras have been restless all night. I'm not an expert in their behavior, but some of the other crew members tell me that they seem like they're ill. Something in the water, perhaps.”

“Always knew the fish from this strait tested funny,” I half-joke. Sergio casts me an unamused glance.

“Will they be strong enough to carry us across the eastern bay?” Adelina asks.

“They say the baliras will fly long enough to get us over the wall. I don't know if they'll survive a long battle, though.”

“So we need to make it quick and clean,” I note.

“Essentially, yes.”

I look at Adelina. It would be nice if The Star Thief was still around to mimic. Of course, she died a year ago, on the day we took over Kenettra. Adelina told me they had been friends once, although they didn't end that way. I wonder if her life would have been different if she didn’t feel like most of the people she ever cared about betrayed her.

Sailors quickly replace our silver pennants with the White Wolf's logo on it with black ones, signifying war. Heavy drums beat in my ears. Sergio's storm is already kicking up, rocking our ships back and forth in the waves, but more importantly, tossing the Tamouran ships close to the harbor around like toys.

Tamoura's shores approach. The capital's towers are already in view. I wonder what Adelina thinks, approaching the capital city of the land of her ancestors. She's never been there, so it wouldn't be the same as if I went back to Domacca, where I was born, but perhaps she feels some sort of pull.

A large wave crashes against our ship. I jump up to the ship’s rigging and then hop on the ladder leading to the top of the main mast. Adelina clings to the ship's rail. I reach for her hand. “You're going to need a better view. Care to join me?”

She carefully climbs up the ladder behind me, and as I climb up to the crow's nest. I periodically look down to make sure she's okay. Rain has started to fall. Ahead of us, the Tamouran warships are spread out across the bay. Jagged rocks protrude out of the bay's mouth like shark’s teeth.

“Shall we, White Wolf?” I say, giving her a wide smile.

Adelina weaves an image of a white wolf across the sky, with glowing red eyes and enormous fangs. It looks terrifying. The wolf roars at the Tamouran fleet with a sound that reverberates through my body. The enemy ships fire cannons at us in return.

She looks at me. “Ready?” she asks, looking in my direction.

I wink at her. “Always ready for you, my love!” I grin widely at her, but she looks away, avoiding my gaze. I seize her wolf image and mimic it, holding her illusion so she can work on weaving invisibility over our ships.

Adelina's illusion makes us vanish, at least as far as Tamoura is concerned. They continue to fire, but don't have anything to aim at.

On the main deck, Sergio calls for our cannons to fire. The ship shakes as the ship shoots heavy metal balls to the shore with a deafening roar. Most of the cannonballs hit the Tamouran ships. Screams fill the air.

Overhead, armored baliras fire at us. I grab Adelina's wrist and pull her down into the crow's nest. I feel Enzo's energy as he shoots a fireball at us. He misses us, but hits one of our pennants, although the churning waves quickly extinguish the flames. Adelina momentarily loses concentration, and our invisibility wavers.

A Tamouran cannonball hits our ship, and our vessel shudders, knocking Adelina into me. Her focus wavers, revealing our ships once again.

Enemy fire continues to pound into our ships. Enzo shoots a firebolt at the ship behind us. Overhead, arrows fly from enemy baliras. Some stick into our sailors, others clatter harmlessly onto the deck, still others penetrate into the wood and stick out of the floorboards.

Adelina shivers against me, and part of me can't help but enjoy it, even with all the surrounding destruction. She stands up. “I need to fly,” she says. “We need to be airborne.”

As I get ready to call for a balira, a gust of wind almost knocks me off my feet. Instinctively, I reach out and wrap an arm around Adelina's waist. With my other arm, I grab the mast. I hold on to the crow's nest for dear life, pressing her into the mast.

The enemy baliras fly overhead. “I see the Windwalker!” I call out. As soon as her copper curls appear, another gust of wind hits us, knocking Adelina off her feet. I grab her again. The blast causes her to lose her invisibility illusion, and she weaves again.

I help Adelina out of the crow's nest, and we make our way to the edge of the ship. I wave my arms at one of our baliras passing by. “Ours!” The rider turns the balira in our direction and it dives in the water. I jump off the railing, and Adelina follows. When I land, the soldier riding the balira jumps off and swims back to the ship.

I help Adelina settle herself on the balira's back. The ocean underneath us licks at my feet; there's something wrong about the water. Maybe this is what is causing the baliras to behave strangely.

Adelina jerks back slightly. I'm concerned about how Enzo's nearness might affect her. I pull our balira up into the air with one arm; with the other, I hold tightly onto Adelina. Out of the corner of my eye, Enzo is looking in our direction, glaring. He holds his hand out, and I feel him pulling on the energy around him. I turn our balira sharply to the right.

Enzo shoots out a fireball, hitting the space where we would have been if I hadn't reacted quickly. I return with a fireball of my own. At that moment, I feel what might be an irrational hatred towards him, detesting all the ways he affects my girlfriend, if that is even a word I can use for Adelina. I hit his balira, who jerks away, taking Enzo away along with it.

Adelina pulls our balira around. She suddenly feels hot to the touch. Her energy stirs and struggles around me; she must be fighting with Enzo over control of their tether. The balira speeds up, and we're close to the Tamouran shore. Adelina's head jerks back against my chest. She lifts her hands and uses her own illusions—against our own fleet.

“Adelina! Stop!” a voice to my side cries out, and I turn to the sound to see Raffaele. Violetta is with him; she looks exhausted and sick. Raffaele holds on to her.

Adelina sees her too, the surprise at seeing her sister distracting her for a moment. Out of the corner of my eye, one of our own Inquisitors speeds towards us, holding a club. _A rat_. He swings hard, knocking Adelina off our balira. I try to hold on, but I lose my grasp on her. I scream helplessly as she tumbles toward the sea.

Momentarily distracted, I don't notice Enzo shooting another fireball at my balira. He hits it with a deadly blow, and I descend into the ocean. When I make impact, I feel excruciating pain, and then I feel nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! This was a challenging chapter to edit. Thanks for reading! I hope you like it.


	22. The Dungeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano wakes up in a dungeon. Rafaele wants to make a deal.

I wake up face-down on the stone floor of a cold, gray prison cell, but I'm not chained. A blanket covers my body, and a pillow is under my head.

I try to remember what happened. Visions of the Inquisitor hitting Adelina with a club flood my mind. Details from the fight flood my memory, and I groan.

My markings must have broken open when I hit the ocean; bandages cover them. Although I’m being held captive, someone is taking care of me.

I roll onto my side and suck in an agonizing breath; my muscles are stiff, and I feel like I’ve been in a fight with a porcupine. Around me, the light is dim, but the accommodations seem to be better than the Inquisitor's dungeon I spent time in when Adelina unknowingly rescued me. My captors certainly didn't leave me with a blanket or a pillow back then.

_Adelina_. What happened to her? Is she still alive? I reach out with my energy to see if I can feel her. If I focus, I can weakly feel her familiar energy. I breathe out, relieved that she's at least alive. Whether she’s okay, I don't know. My gut churns as I think of the possibilities.

I prop the pillow against the wall, lean against it, and hum a tune to myself. I don't know what they have planned for me, but for some reason, they thought it was important to leave me unharmed. Maybe I'll be part of a prisoner of war exchange; maybe they’ll ransom me.

After a while, a guard passes me and notices I'm awake. After looking at me with a look of disinterest, he continues his patrol.

I continue to hum and fill up the time by composing a song about rotting in a jail cell. After a while, I see Raffaele. He stands outside my cell door, with Enzo behind him.

My mood sours. I glare at Enzo, whose eyes are lifeless, empty holes. “What's he doing here?” I scowl.

I sense Raffaele reading my energy. He tilts his head and gets a curious look on his face. “Do I detect jealousy, Magiano?” he asks. “You are not exactly in a position to question me; however, Enzo's presence is not necessary, and it only serves to agitate you, so I will send him away.” He nods in Enzo's direction, and Enzo leaves. “I'm not here to torture you.” His voice is soft.

“Where's Adelina?”

“So demanding…” Raffaele shakes his head. “She's fine, for now. How she continues to fare depends on her. As your welfare depends on you.”

“What do you want?” I cross my arms over my chest.

“Perhaps we should go someplace more comfortable.” Raffaele indicates to the guards to open the cell door, which slides open with a metal clank. He gives me a warning look. “If you try anything, I'll bring Enzo back.”

I frown. One of the guards grabs me by the arm, so rough it will probably leave a bruise. We walk down a hallway and up some stairs. We walk out the doors, across a raised walkway, and into another nearby building. From there, he takes me to a common living area and tells me to sit on a couch. It’s soft, upholstered in blue velvet.

The guards release me, but continue to stand at my side. I'm confused. I'm a prisoner of war; why are they not torturing me on a rack? Burning me at the stake?

Raffaele sits on the couch next to me. “Do you remember getting a note from me about Violetta?”

“Yes.” A smile comes unbidden to my face, thinking about the time I spent with Adelina in the bathhouse right before that.

Raffaele gives me an odd look. I blush, then my smile drops. “I'm—sorry—I was just thinking about what I was doing before we got that note. We thought it was a trap.”

Raffaele senses my emotions. “I do care about Violetta, you know,” I continue.

“The note wasn't a trap,” Raffaele says. “She's very sick, and it's quite possible that we will all become ill, and soon. We are going to need Adelina's help. And possibly yours.”

I give him a confused look. “I'm your prisoner of war,” I state. “What help of mine would you possibly want? What makes you think I would help you?”

“We won't keep you a prisoner,” Raffaele says, “assuming we get your cooperation.”

I blink in surprise. “Why would you do that?”

Raffaele pauses. “Do you recall any documents that were left on the Beldish ship after our last battle?”

I nod. “Yes. It said that all of us Elites will eventually succumb to our powers.”

“The Elites came about because of an imbalance between the mortal and immortal realms. The blood fever was a ripple in the world caused by a rift in the fabric between the worlds. Our existence goes against the natural order of things. The imbalance is increasing. When Maeve raised Enzo from the dead, it only sped up the process.”

I cross my arms. “What does that have to do with Adelina? Or with me?”

“Do you remember the myth of the Fall of Laetes, the Angel of Joy?”

“Of course,” I respond. “I'm a musician. I sing songs about all the myths.”

“The immortal world moves at a different pace than we do. Although that event happened centuries ago, it only began to affect the mortal world recently, when the blood fever swept over the world. When Joy fell to our world, he tore a hole in the fabric between our two worlds. This eventually caused the blood fever, which created the Elites.”

“Our markings are the touches of the gods upon us,” he continues. “Our Elite abilities are their blessings. It's also what is poisoning our world. The waters outside of the Tamouran shores are poisoned. This poison will spread to the rest of the world.”

“I felt something wrong with the waters earlier,” I remark. “What do you want us to do about it?”

“We need to seal the rift that was created when mortality met immortality. As children of the gods, we are the only mortals capable of entering the immortal world. We need to give back our powers.”

“Good luck getting Adelina to do that,” I snort.

“She will have to, or else we will all die,” Raffaele replies. “We may need you to try to convince her.”

I shake my head. “She doesn't always listen to me.”

Raffaele raises an eyebrow at me. “So are you telling me it was Adelina's idea to give gifts to the Dumorians? Or did the Rainmaker come up with that one? When news of that gesture reached us, we thought it was out of character for her.”

I shrug. “That was my idea, but more often than not, she does what she wants.”

“Well, let's hope someone convinces her.” Raffaele stands. “We will return you to the dungeons, for now. As a safety precaution. Our two militaries are working out a temporary truce. How these negotiations work out will determine how long we keep you there.”

Back in the dungeon, I still have my blanket and pillow. I worry about Adelina. They say they wouldn't harm her, but can they be trusted? She didn't trust the Daggers. Why should I?

I spend the day humming to myself and compose another song in my head. Eventually, I fall asleep.

I wake up suddenly in the middle of the night. My heart pounds, and I feel an overwhelming sense of panic. _Adelina_. I feel her energy. It's weak, as if she is far away, but it feels crazy, as if she is in a panic too. I concentrate on breathing. There’s nothing I can do, but something is wrong.

I get up and pace my cell, focusing on her energy, which continues to feel wild and out of control. After a while, it subsides. I sit back down, leaning against the pillow on the wall, but I can't sleep. Something must have happened.

After a while, Raffaele shows up outside of my cell, surrounded by Tamouran guards. He pauses to study me. “You're awake.”

“Where's Adelina? Something happened.”

He gives me a curious look. “Adelina is okay,” he says after a while. His face darkens. “Enzo is dead.”

“Well, that's not something I'm going to cry about,” I state flatly. I notice Raffaele's downcast expression. “I'm sorry for your loss though.”

“Unlock the doors,” Raffaele says. “We're moving your quarters to something more comfortable.”

I shrug and stand up. The guards don't grab me as I follow him back out of the dungeons. They take me to an actual bedroom. Although the accommodations are more comfortable, I still have trouble sleeping.

I remain in the room for the next several days. They take me to the bathhouse and allow me to clean up. I keep asking about Adelina; the guards keep telling me she's okay, but I don't get to see her.

One morning, guards wake me up before the sun comes up. They give me some clothes to change into, including a heavy black cloak, and tell me to follow them. They bring me to the Daggers.

With them is Violetta. She has purple markings up and down her neck, which disappear into her robes. It looks as if she has been beaten.

“Violetta, you look terrible! I mean, last time I saw you, you looked really nice.” I pause for a moment. “I'm not hitting on you; I like your sister.”

“I think half the planet knows that at this point,” Lucent comments, rolling her eyes.

I ignore her sarcastic comment. “Have they been treating you okay?”

Violetta nods. “I don't feel well, but the Daggers have been good to me.”

The Daggers look at me warily. They don't trust me.

“We're taking you to your queen,” Michel says. “I don't know why, but Raffaele thinks she needs to be kept alive.”

Outside, horses are waiting for us, and we ride to the shore. One of the king’s servants, a gigantic man with olive skin and a short beard, carries Violetta because she’s too weak to ride. The Kenettran troops are nearby, and I want to ride to them, but I'm told to stay with the Tamourans.

After a while, we finally see Adelina, riding a horse next to Raffaele. Behind her ride a few of our Inquisitors, along with Sergio. I smile at the sight of Adelina and climb down from my horse. When she notices me, she smiles back.

I want to run to her. “Wait,” the bearded man says.

When she reaches me, the guard lets me walk forward. She climbs down from her horse and stops right in front of me.

“Well, Your Majesty,” I say teasingly. “It looks like they caught you.”

“And you,” she replies.

Raffaele looks at Sergio. “Hello, Rainmaker.”

Sergio looks at him coldly. “A pleasure to see you again, Messenger.”

Raffaele looks at all of us. “The Tamourans have decided to release your queen. We have some things to discuss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	23. The Twelve Alignments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano and Teren's alignments are tested.

Before we set sail, Adelina, Sergio, Raffaele, Lucent, and I meet on our ship in a wood-paneled conference room. Violetta was sick in her quarters.

“We are going to need to take this journey together,” Raffaele says, frowning. “But we cannot do that if we don't trust each other. Trust will come slowly, for both sides. We give some, you give some.”

“And who is to go on this journey?” I ask, leaning forward, as if to protect Adelina. Although she can do whatever she wants, I don’t like the idea of her going without me.

“Every Elite in the world aligns with the gods in some way,” Raffaele says. “The group of Elites who go with us must comprise all twelve of the gods. Missing even one alignment will not give us the combination of energy needed to reach the mortal world—the touch of immortality could overwhelm us. It would be fatal.”

I remember the night when Adelina told me about her alignments and guessed mine. Kissing her after she guessed my alignments was my favorite part of the evening.

Raffaele looks at Adelina. “I remember yours quite vividly, Adelina. Fear and fury. Ambition. Passion. Wisdom. Five of the twelve. Your sister also aligns with fear. In addition to that, she aligns with joy and empathy. With happiness and sensitivity.”

Adelina frowns at the mention of her sister.

“What are yours?” Sergio asks Raffaele frostily. “You never mentioned them.”

Raffaele slightly bows his head. “Wisdom and beauty. Including Lucent's alignment to time, we comprise nine of the twelve gods. Sergio, your alignments already overlap these as do Michel's. So we need to find others with the three remaining alignments, to death, war, and greed.” He looks at me. “I would like to give you the same test that I gave the Daggers.”

I cross my arms as if to refuse, but Adelina's look prods me to agree. Raffaele gestures to me to stand in the middle of the floor. “I suppose you won't believe me if I just guessed my alignments for you,” I mutter, walking to where he points.

Raffaele pulls twelve gemstones out of a bag, places them around me, and circles like a vulture. I'm not sure what to expect. Eventually, three gems light up: diamond, prase quartz, and sapphire.

Raffaele calls on the gems, bringing up my memories.

When I was seven years old, my brothers and sisters took me to live at the Mensah temple in Domacca. My parents, which I barely remember, had died of the blood fever. The priests told me I didn’t need a name any longer; I was now the Boy of Mensah.

The priests taught me how to sacrifice goats and how to do the chores. I was always starving. When I slaughtered the goats, I always longed for the meat, but they thought it was best to keep me hungry. When I asked why they didn't feed me much, the priest told me that hunger helped me remain awake and alert, and strengthened my link to the gods, so they could communicate through me.

Raffaele calls up another memory. This time, I was nine years old, and I’m friends with the Girl of Mensah. My gut aches with the memory of her. How she’d play with my braids and sometimes we’d scare the goats. That was fun. She was my only friend.

One time, we stole one of the peaches that had been left out on one of the altars for the gods. How delicious it tasted! So sweet and juicy! The sticky juice dribbled down my chin, and I had to wash my face with the holy water at the temple’s entrance in order to cover up the evidence. It was such a treat to my hollow stomach. The Girl of Mensah and I became skilled at stealing peaches. One day, however, we got a little too bold, and stole two peaches each, instead of our normal one. The priests discovered it. That was when the priests dragged me out of bed and held me down. They whispered an incantation as my main priest dug a knife into my markings. The pain was unbearable.

I feel my heartbeat increase as I wake from my second memory. The pain in my side still echoes in my mind. Raffaele calls upon my final gem, and I see my final memory.

I was about to turn twelve years old. The Girl of Mensah and I were going to run away together. Once a week, a boat loaded with spices sailed from Magiano to the Ember Isles. I was so excited when she asked if I would meet her there that evening. There was joy and adventure, just waiting for us right outside the walls of the temple.

Our dreams together ended that night when I saw her slaughtered on the altar. The priests had planned all along to sacrifice us on our twelfth birthdays.

I ran, carrying on with our plans together. I’m sure the priests searched for me, but I didn't stop until I reached the village of Magiano. I hid, waiting until the boat came. Although they caught me, they allowed me to board in exchange for my labor. When I sailed away, I made two promises to myself: I would always have a name, and it would be Magiano. Second, I would always carry joy with me, almost as if I was carrying her with me.

I break out of my vision, angry. I look at Raffaele with venom in my eyes.

“Get away from me,” I bark. I walk to the other end of the room and look out the porthole, out into the dark blue ocean. The others are talking in the background, but I'm not paying attention to them. I concentrate on my breathing and focus on forgetting.

The next morning, the final clouds from Sergio's storm were melting away. After I calmed down last night, Adelina told me I aligned with greed, ambition, and joy, and they needed me to come with them. She was happy about that. She told me they were sure Queen Maeve would align with death, and suspected Teren would align with war, so we were headed back to Estenzia to test him.

We sail for several days before we pass the Falls of Laetes, a scar in the world that separates the Sealands from the Sunlands. The water still has its odd dark grey color. The baliras flying around the Falls look exhausted, like the waters are making them sick.

Even though Violetta is on our ship, I don't see her often, as she stays in her room. Sergio visits her every day.

“How’s Violetta?” I ask one evening when I catch him on the deck. The stars overhead when we’re at sea are so bright, they’re like a million diamonds hanging from the sky.

He shakes his head. “Not good. She’s able to sit up, but she needs to rest a lot.”

“Doesn’t she want to come out here to rest?”

He shakes his head. “She doesn’t want to see her sister. Neither of them seem to want to get over what happened.”

It breaks my heart to see the animosity between the two, how neither can get over whatever wounds they were left with from the past, but there’s not much I can do about that.

If I had a sibling, I’d want to patch things up. I guess I do have siblings; I was reminded of them during my alignment test. My only memory of them is vague, and I’m unlikely to ever see them again.

I should be happy to reach the Estenzian harbor, especially after spending time in prison, but my stomach feels like it’s crawling with caterpillars. I’m not looking forward to seeing Raffaele conduct another round of tests; even though I will hopefully never have to live through that again, I don't want to see someone else go through it either, even if it is someone like Teren. I can tell that Adelina is curious about what happened during my tests, but I don't particularly want to bring it up. She's perceptive doesn't ask.

Sometimes when we pull into the harbor, I help the crew get ready to dock, but today, I stand next to Adelina. After our shared experience in prison, even though we were in different parts of the jail, we seem to spend more time with each other.

I'm concerned about the result of today's test. “If Teren is not the one we need–" I surmise.

“He is.” She declares it with confidence. I guess she’d know better than I would. Adelina told me about her history with Teren. He almost burned her at the stake after she accidentally created an illusion that led to her father's death; if Enzo hadn't rescued her, she wouldn't be around today. Later, after she became a dagger recruit, Teren blackmailed her into giving away information about the Dagger's plans. He had Violetta, and Adelina didn't want to see anything happen to her sister.

I make a face. “We'll have to watch another round of Raffaele conducting his tests.”

We ride together as we head towards the palace. The Daggers follow behind us, along with some Tamouran soldiers. They are putting a lot of trust in Adelina. Perhaps she realizes the gravity of what will happen to us if our mission doesn't succeed. I'm not sure though.

As we head down towards the dungeons, Sergio carries Violetta, who looks like she’s about to pass out. At least she’s conscious. She's had worse days. Whatever is affecting Teren's energy seems to be exhausting Raffaele as well.

When we get to Teren's part of the dungeon, Sergio sends the guards away. They look unsure, but obey him anyway.

The Inquisitors that normally guard the inner chamber where Teren stays had been cleared out, so it is just us and him. He is crouched down in the middle of a bare rocky island, wearing a threadbare prison robe. His eyes are sunken, and dried blood clings to his wrists like a bracelet of rubies.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I ask Adelina as we approach the moat that separates us from Teren. “You can talk to him from here, can't you?”

“I can,” she replies. “But we cannot travel with someone who must be separated from us by chains and a moat.” I give her hand a squeeze of support.

Sergio sets Violetta down. Despite her weak state, she has a job to do. She takes a breath, balls up her hand into a fist, and pulls at Teren's energy.

Teren gasps, and his eyes almost pop out of his head. Violetta took my energy once, when I was at the Night King's court, but she did it so subtly I didn't notice. I've been told that to have your powers taken away quickly is like having all the air sucked out of your lungs.

“He's ready,” Violetta whispers. On the other side of the moat, Teren stares at us with hatred.

Sergio attaches the rope bridge that connects Teren's rocky island to where we are standing. Adelina and Raffaele cross together; I look on from the other side of the moat.

“Well, Your Majesty,” Teren sneers. “You've brought a mutual enemy with you this time. Your tastes in torture seem to have evolved.”

“He's even friendlier than I remember,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest.

Adelina is silent. They stop a few feet away from Teren, at a safe distance where he can't reach him through his chains.

“Why is he here?” Teren asks, looking at Raffaele.

Adelina turns to Sergio. “Unchain him,” she orders.

Teren's eyes widen in surprise. Sergio walks over to Teren and puts the key in the locks, remaining careful enough to keep one hand on his sword's hilt. His chains fall upon the ground.

Teren stands warily and stares at Adelina. “What do you want now, little wolf?” he snarls.

I don't like this at all. I hold my breath. Adelina reaches for my energy from the other side of the moat.

“Haven't you always hated the existence of the Elites, Teren?” Adelina asks. “Haven't you always hoped to see us destroyed, taken to the Underworld?”

Teren continues to stare at her silently.

“Well,” she continues, “I think the gods may grant your wish after all.”

Teren drops his smile. “Do not play games with the gods, Adelina.”

“Do you want to hear more?”

Teren sneers and takes a step closer. I tense up even more. “Do I have a choice?”

“We can leave, of course,” she continues. “You can go back to your shackles. You can crouch here for all of eternity, never again seeing the light of day, never dying. That is a part of your power too, isn't it? Too strong, too invincible to die and end your own misery? What irony. So, do you want to hear more?”

“Always playing games,” Teren says, continuing to stare.

Adelina looks at Raffaele. “You're going to have to trust us for a moment.”

Teren laughs. “What has trust ever meant to any of you?” Raffaele walks around Teren, placing the stones around him.

We're all quiet as we watch the test. I am uneasy as I watch, but at least I don't have to be the one between the stones. Teren's gems start to light up: the white diamond, which aligns with ambition, just like Adelina and I, a brilliant blue gem, and a blood-red scarlet gem.

Teren suddenly snaps, lunging for Raffaele. Sergio steps in between the two and hits Teren with the hilt of his sword, knocking him back.

Raffaele calmly announces Teren's alignments. The brilliant blue gem that he aligns to is that of Sapientus, for wisdom. His final alignment is ruby, for Tristius, the angel of war. With Maeve, we have all of the alignments that we need.

“Why are you here?” Teren hisses. His anger has been stirred, just as mine was when I was tested. “What do you want. What do you _want_?”

Adelina steps closer to Teren and bends down, whispering something I can't hear. She's probably explaining our mission to him.

Teren laughs maniacally. “We have an unpleasant history together, little wolf,” he says. “What makes you think I have any desire to help you?”

“The last time we worked together, there was another standing in the way.”

Their quiet conversation continues. Suddenly, Teren reaches out and grabs Adelina's wrist.

“Look out!” I yell. On the other side of the moat, Sergio reaches for his sword. The hatred between the two is palpable.

They say a few more things to each other that I cannot hear. “Teren, we are going to hand our powers back to the gods,” Adelina says. “We will fix the world by giving up our abomination. It is the only way, and it is the only mantra you have ever followed. I have no other reason to stand beside Raffaele. Nor you.” She pauses. “This is what you've always wanted.”

Teren finally releases Adelina's wrist. I hadn't even realized that I had been holding my breath, but I can finally release it.

He slowly smiles at her. “We will see who is right, mi Adelinetta,” he says.

I feel relief when Adelina finally is back on the same side of the moat as I am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! I've had such a difficult time finding time to write and even read lately! Your kudos have inspired me though, not just for this work. I've been working on several of my stories for about a couple years now. I hope you like this chapter (and I hope not to take so long with the next one).


	24. At Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Daggers and Rose Society get underway, and someone tries to kill Adelina.

The sun is shining and the day is beautiful as we prepare to get underway. I climb up to the mainmast to get a better view. The wind blows against my braids and salt water hits my face. From my vantage point, I can see everything: Teren boarding the ship, surrounded by guards, Adelina standing at the bow, watching the seas ahead, and Violetta at the stern, watching Sergio disappear on the dock, waving to her.

Sergio and the mercenaries will oversee the kingdom’s business while we’re gone. I’m happy for him. He kissed Violetta on the docks before we boarded. I always suspected they liked each other, but their relationship has been secretive, and I wasn’t sure.

We're supposed to meet tonight in the royal dining room. Since the Daggers are staying on a different ship, we have to maneuver our ships so they can connect.

I help the sailors, learning how they do this, since I’ve never done this before. One of the ship’s officers directs me as I help with the rigging. The Daggers’ ship approaches on our port side, until finally our two vessels line up. When we match speed and direction, our sailors throw the gangplank over and the Daggers board.

The crew takes care of bringing the gangplank back on board as I head to the royal dining room to join Adelina, Violetta, and the Daggers. Violetta sits next to Raffaele, opposite the table from Adelina. I take the empty chair next to Adelina, grabbing meat, a few strawberries, and fresh bread from the center of the table. After a few days, the fresh food will be gone, and we’ll be left with dried meat and hard bread.

Raffaele has already started explaining our voyage to the group. “We sail northeast. It will take several weeks if we follow the shortest route, as the northern terns migrate.”

“How do you know where to go?” Adelina asks. “You mentioned the origin of the Elites. Where is it?”

Raffaele draws an invisible line on the table with his finger. “Northern Amadera, deep in the ranges.” He looks around the table to all of us. “The Dark of Night.”

“Like in the myths?” I ask.

Raffaele nods. “There are four places where the spirits still wander,” he recites from a book of myths which is familiar to me, although I hadn't read it in years, “The snow-covered Dark of Night, the forgotten paradise of Sobri Elan, the Glass Pillars of Dumon, and the human mind, the eternally mysterious realm where ghosts shall forever walk.”

“They say the Dark of Night is a remnant of the gods,” Lucent says, leaning in. “It is a sacred land. Priests make pilgrimages there.”

“If you study the chronology of the myths,” Raffaele adds, “the first mentions of the Dark of Night coincide with the fall of Laetes from the heavens. It is known as a sacred place, yes.” He looks over to Lucent. “I believe it was created by the tear between the immortal world and the mortal. It is a place of eternal night, not meant for mortals. The priests you mentioned, Lucent, visit the lands around it. But they don't actually enter the Dark of Night. There are no tales of what is inside this place.”

I always love a good adventure. Going somewhere no mortal has ever entered? Sounds like the ultimate adventure to me.

“You believe it's the place where only Elites can enter,” Adelina states. I caress her hand under the table. Her pinky is crooked, as if at one point in her life it broke and never healed properly. There is so much about her past I still don't know about. Things she doesn't want to talk about, just like there are things in my past I don't want to discuss either.

“It is a land of gods,” Raffaele nods.

“And will Queen Maeve meet us along the way?” I ask. “As soon as we enter the Skylands?”

Raffaele looks at me. “We will meet her at the passage between Beldain and Amadera.”

“After our last confrontation?” I ask doubtfully. “Are you sure she'll want to join us? Hard to believe the Beldish queen will let us pass through her territory unharmed after we destroyed her entire fleet—let alone sit on a horse beside us for weeks.”

“It is in Maeve's best interests to see us succeed,” Raffaele replies, a flat expression on his face.

I shrug. Perhaps that's why I have no interest in ever being a king. I have no interest in diplomacy or trying to make nice with my enemies.

When I wake up the next morning before dawn, the sky outside my porthole is dark. An angry collection of clouds gathers overhead. It looks like the crew might need my help today; I change into practical clothes, without the gems that I prefer, and head up the ladder to the main deck.

“Lord Magiano!” the Captain says when he sees me. “We could use your help today. It looks like a terrible storm is approaching!”

“Happy to help!” I reply. I start tying down loose objects that might roll around in a tossing sea.

The clouds continue to gather as I work. They darken so much, I’d think it was nighttime if I didn’t know better. Lightning streaks across the sky and thunder growls as the ship rolls in the waves. It’s beginning to be difficult to stand up.

After a while, Adelina pokes her head out of the ladder and joins me above decks. She’s unsteady on her feet. As she approaches, I leave the two crew members I’m working with to go talk to her.

“We are still ahead of the storm,” I tell her. “But its arms extend far. If we're lucky, we'll be able to sail around before the worst of it hits us.”

Her face reflects growing concern as she looks around. “Where is Violetta? Have you seen her this morning?”

I look over at the ladder. “She hasn't come up here. You should stay below decks too. I can take it from here. It may get violent.”

After she returns to the ladder, I resume trying down a cannon with the sailors.

“Tie yourselves down!” a sailor shouts from the crow's nest.

I hold on to the forward sail’s rigging for dear life as the ship rolls from one side to the other. The rain pelts down; it has already soaked through my clothes. Adelina emerges from belowdecks, her face paler than usual, like she saw a ghost.

“Adelina!” I shout. The storm is so loud, I don’t know if she’ll be able to hear me.

“Teren!” she shouts back. “He's gone! He's –"

The ship lurches to one side. A rope breaks free from one of the cannons I tied down earlier and smacks me on my side, right on top of my marking.

I grunt in pain and lose my grip on the rigging I had been clinging to. When I reach out, desperate to find anything to grab, I only come up with air. I'm sliding towards the ship’s railing. At this moment, I'm fearful I may end up being tossed overboard. I wonder if Adelina will miss me. I wonder what it will feel like to drown, to be pulled into the Underworld.

A rope lands in front of me, and I manage to grab it. I don't slide into the sea after all. Instead, I smack into the main mast's spar. I crumple to the deck, only to see that Teren had thrown the rope to me. I don't know how he got up here, but Teren, standing there with his hands chained together, saved my life.

Adelina rushes towards Teren. “Adelina—don't!” A wave crashes over the side of the ship, washing Teren overboard. Adelina rushes to the railing. She reaches her hand over the side of the ship. I'm not sure what she's doing, but she's in danger. I run to her side to bring her back to safety.

“Look out!” someone shouts. A massive wave washes over the ship. The next thing I know, I am standing at the railing, and Adelina is no longer there.

I can't breathe. My heart feels like it’s going to burst. Fear grips my insides more strongly than it ever has before in my life.

“Man overboard!” I shout. The crew springs into action. I've never seen a man overboard drill in the limited amount of time I've spent at sea, but the experienced crew seems to know what to do. Although I can't see Adelina or Teren in the water, the crew shifts the sails so the ship begins to turn around in order to get back to the place where Adelina and Teren entered the sea. Someone in the pilot house blows a series of whistles; perhaps to inform everybody on this ship of what has happened, but also to let the Daggers' know that we have an emergency.

I peer desperately into the water, hoping to find Adelina or Teren. The sea is too choppy; our ship has travelled too far to see them.

We eventually return to the point close to where they fell overboard. The Daggers' ship has also mobilized and is approaching the spot from the opposite direction. Rain streams down my braids and down my face, making it difficult to see, but I finally spot them. Teren is holding on to Adelina, as if he’s trying to keep her from drowning. _Strange_. I point at the two and shout as loudly as I can.

The sea around them churns unnaturally. On the other ship, I can barely make out Lucent, who is creating a whirlwind that lifts the two and deposits them onto the deck of our ship.

“Get blankets!” I shout, relieved.

Violetta runs up to Adelina, and they embrace. Even though they haven't exactly been on speaking terms for the past year, there must be something about nearly losing a loved one, especially a sister, that makes you forget your past hurts, at least temporarily. Next to us, Inquisitors have surrounded Teren, throwing him to the ground and putting him back in chains.

After their embrace, Violetta looks at Adelina awkwardly, before returning to the warmth of the cabins.

“You scared me,” I say, approaching her. “Don’t ever do that again.”

She sighs, looking into the stormy sea. “What an evening. Before I came up here, somebody tried to kill me.”

My eyes harden. “Who?”

“I took care of him.”

“Of course you did. Do you think he was a lone actor?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. But someone released Teren.”

My jaw hardens. “I guess I’ll start by asking him then.”

Teren confirms that the traitor released him from his cell, in hopes that Teren would kill Adelina if he didn’t succeed. After that, I didn’t need to hear anymore. I spend the next hour dragging all the Inquisitors, one by one, up to the main deck in front of Adelina, determined to get to the bottom of everything and get rid of any rats once and for all.

The soldiers grovel at her feet. She decides to show them mercy, but orders the traitor's corpse to be tossed overboard. I'm only happy to help with that.

“Let that be a reminder to those of you who still want to challenge me,” she states coldly after the body splashes into the sea, which had thankfully calmed somewhat. “Anyone else?”

Nobody says a word.

That evening. I sit next to Adelina as I look out the porthole in a common area, watching the waves gently ripple while I eat a bowl of soup. Teren is nearby, surrounded by two Inquisitors. Adelina is huddled in blankets, drinking a cup of tea I made for her. She can't seem to get warm, even after a warm meal and a hot bath. The chill has soaked into her bones.

“Why did you save me?” Adelina asks, addressing Teren.

He shrugs. “Probably the same reason why that Dagger saved both of our lives. The Windwalker, was it?” Since Teren saved our lives earlier today, he has been given a hot meal, new bandages, a blanket, and temporary freedom to sit in the upper decks.

“And what reason was that?” she asks.

“As you said, I am here only to carry out the gods' wishes. And I'll be damned if your foolish actions make this voyage pointless.”

Adelina looks at the Inquisitors. “Remove his chains.”

I raise an eyebrow. One of the Inquisitors gives her a questioning look. “Your Majesty?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?” The Inquisitor unlocks his shackles.

Teren laughs. “Trusting me,” he says, “is a dangerous game, mi Adelinetta.”

“I'm doing more than that,” she replies. “For the rest of this journey, _you_ will be my personal guard.” I choke on my soup after hearing that.

“I'm not your lackey, Your Majesty.”

“And I'm not Giulietta,” she replies. “You could have killed me on board this ship when you first freed yourself. You could have drowned me in the ocean. But you didn't—and that makes you more trustworthy to me than even my own crew. It's clear I can't rely on all of my men, and for once, we have the same goals. So, for the rest of this journey, you will be my personal guard. It is in both of our personal interests.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” he replies. “I suppose we'll see how well we do together.”

“This will all be over soon, and your duty to the gods will be complete.”

After a while, Teren gets up from his seat. He takes the sword from one of the Inquisitors that had been guarding him. He looks over at us. “I'll need a weapon,” he says, leaving the room.

Adelina visibly relaxes as he leaves. “I'll keep an eye on him,” I say, walking over to her and reaching out my hand. “One heroic act doesn't make a man trustworthy. What if he decides to turn his blade on you?”

After finishing our meal, we leave the main cabin and head down the hallway towards our quarters. “You can't watch me all of the time,” she says. “Teren will be better than leaving me at the mercy of any other rebels who might be on board.”

I face her. Although I don't agree with her logic, I don't argue. She looks tired, has that look about her she often gets before her illusions get out of control. Or after. “You aren't well tonight.”

She rubs her temples, as if she has a headache she's trying to get rid of.

“Come,” I say, grabbing her hand and leading her to her quarters. She sits on her bed while I light a candle and sit at her writing desk. I prepare another mug of tea for her. Adelina has needed more and more lately to function, which worries me. I'm glad that soon this will all be over. I don't know how long she would stay sane otherwise.

When I turn back to Adelina, her eyes are wide with fear. Her covers are pulled up to her chin. She's slowly taking deep breaths. Her eyes are closed. I sit down on the corner of her bed.

“Adelina,” I whisper, breaking her out of her trance. I hold the mug out to her. She takes it eagerly.

“Did you hear the wailing?” she asks. I nod, peering out the porthole beyond her. The baliras have been wailing for several days. It’s a terrible sound, as if coming from the Underworld itself. Currently, the wails are louder as a pod of baliras swim by.

She looks at my hand, which I hadn't even noticed was holding onto my side. “I've never heard the wail like that before.”

“I heard them several nights ago,” I reply. “Raffaele told me he heard it, too, when he came on board our ship. It is the sound of a dying balira, poisoned by the water.”

We look out the porthole, where the stars shimmer against the waves. They’re so bright tonight. I shiver as I listen to the haunting balira cries.

Adelina has a conflicted look on her face. Perhaps she hears the voices. The tea probably hasn't kicked in yet. We're sitting next to each other, our sides touching.

“I'm afraid," she whispers. “Every day, I wake up wondering whether or not this will be the last day I get to live in reality. Last night, my nightmare returned. It went on for longer than it ever has. Even now, when you were standing so close by, I could see the shadows in the corner reaching their claws toward me. Even at this very moment, my illusions are growing stronger, evolving completely out of my reach.”

“Good thing we're going to find a way to fix this, then.” I brush back her hair. I hurt for her. I wish I could do something to end her pain, to keep her sane, but all I know how to do is make her tea. “It won't be like this forever.”

We sit together silently. After a while, she puts her hand on mine. “You're still in pain.”

“Just my old wound acting up again,” I reply, trying to sound lighthearted. “But I'm declining slower than you are, my love. I can endure this.”

“Let me see,” she murmurs. “Maybe you need to wrap it.”

I pull away from her for a moment. She doesn’t need to see me like this. When she gives me a scolding look, I sigh and pull my shirt over my head. I can't imagine it looks good tonight. It's been throbbing all afternoon, but I don't want to worry Adelina.

“Perhaps Raffaele can have a look at it tomorrow,” she suggests, frowning.

“I'm all right. Don't worry.”

She gives me a serious look, as if she has something important to say. “Magiano, I…” She pauses, unsure. “We might not return from this voyage. None of us. We might all lay down our lives when we reach the end, and not ever know whether our sacrifice changed anything for the better.”

“It _will_ be for the better,” I reply, putting my hand on hers. “We cannot just die, not without trying. Not without fighting.”

“Do you really believe that? Why are we doing this, anyway? To preserve my own life, and yours—but what has the world ever done for us in order to deserve our sacrifice?”

I frown, and then lean in closer. “We exist because this world exists. It's a responsibility of ours, whether or not anyone will remember it.” I pause for a moment, looking at her. “And they will. Because we will return and make sure of it.”

I didn't realize how close I had gotten to her; her breath is warm against my face.

“You are so full of light,” Adelina says. “You align with joy, and I with fear and fury. If you could see into my thoughts, you would surely turn away. So why would you stay with me, even if we return to Kenettra and resume our lives?”

Her dark eye is wide, full of concern. If she only knew how much I cared about her, she wouldn't ever think like this. “You paint me as a saint,” I murmur. “But I aligned with greed solely to prevent that.”

The corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile. “I'm serious, Magiano.”

“As am I. None of us are saints. I have seen your darkness, yes, and know your struggle. I won't deny it.” I touch her chin with my hand and stare into her eye. My heart aches for all the times people in her life, that should have protected her, should have cared for her, betrayed her. “But you are passionate and ambitious and loyal. You are a thousand things, mi Adelinetta, not just one. Do not reduce yourself to that.”

She looks down.

“None of us are saints,” I repeat. “We can all do better.”

She looks back up, her face brightening at my last comment. “Magiano…” she pauses, uncertain. “I don't want to leave this world having never been with you.”

I blink and then study her face, uncertain of what she’s trying to say. I know what it _normally_ means, of course, but I don't want to make any assumptions. After our encounter in the bathhouse, Adelina pushed me away for weeks. She never said anything about it, never seemed to return my affection. I was afraid I might have pushed her too much that evening.

“I'm with you right now,” I whisper.

“No,” she says quietly, bringing her lips to mine. “Not yet.”

I smile and kiss her. Her energy warms my insides, as it often does. I wrap my arms around her and pull her towards me. It knocks her off balance, and she falls onto the bed; I fall on top of her.

I fumble at the strings on her bodice as I continue to kiss her. When they loosen, I pull it over her head. My bare chest is leaning against hers, and she trembles, a reflection of my own nervousness.

I study her face. _Are you sure you want to do this?_ I don't want her to take this step with me and regret it.

“Stay with me,” she whispers. “Tonight. Please.” She looks frightened, but I am as well.

I brush her hair away from her face with my hand, then gently kiss her scar on the ruined eye on the left side of her face. I kiss her forehead, then her mouth.

“It will make this night a little less dark,” I whisper softly into her hair.

I tug at the ties on her pants. Suddenly, I feel very awkward. “Adelina,” I say hesitantly, “the priests never really explained how this all worked when I was a kid. They expected to kill me on my twelfth birthday, so they never really felt the need.” I kiss her as I slide her pants down her legs. Her skin is smooth underneath my palms. Of course I heard guys brag about their conquests before, so I have a slight idea of what to do, but I'm afraid of hurting her. “If I'm not doing something right, please let me know.” If my skin wasn't a golden brown color, I'm sure my cheeks would be red.

Adelina laughs. “My father took about thirty seconds to explain it to me,” she replies. Her cheeks _are_ turning pink. She speaks with a deep voice, imitating him. “Put a towel down there when you bleed. And make sure nobody touches you there until you're seventeen, or the gods will be displeased.” She tugs at the strings to my pants. “I guess we'll just have to figure this out together then.”

The next morning when I wake up, I’m still holding Adelina’s hand. She is turned toward me, studying me.

“Good morning,” I say.

She smiles, but looks concerned.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, reaching for her hip with my free hand.

“I didn’t have any nightmares last night,” she replies.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

I know she’s trying to hide it, but she’s worried about something.

“Adelina, please don’t push me away again.”

Her concern is replaced with a look of surprise.

“I don’t think you mean to,” I add, “but you do it anyway. You’re afraid of being loved, because love can be taken away. You’re afraid of loving, because so often that has led to your being hurt.”

She sighs. “What happens when we get back? What if I can’t keep my kingdom without my ability to cause illusions? What happens when I can’t provide you with the money you want?”

“Is that what you’re worried about?” I ask, shaking my head. “It hasn’t been about the money for a long time, mi Adelinetta.” I look into her eyes. “I will never abandon you, Adelina. You know that, right?”

She shakes her head. “I suppose that most of the time I believe that. But then the voices in my head tell me otherwise, and sometimes I believe them.”

I lean towards her and kiss her forehead. In the process, my bare skin brushes against hers underneath the blankets. “Don't believe them,” I whisper. I gaze at her face for a moment. “This will all end soon.”

She smiles weakly at that.

The air outside the blankets seems chilly, and I don't want to leave them or Adelina, but I can't stay in bed forever. I make a move to sit up and grab my shirt, which I left on the floor the night before. Adelina grabs my arm.

“Stay with me again tonight,” she requests.

I smile and kiss her in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	25. Amadera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Elites land in Amadera and meet up with Maeve and her men.

Over the next few weeks, the weather becomes increasingly colder. It’s miserable. On the bright side, I end up vacating my cabin in favor of sharing Adelina's quarters. We move Teren into my old room, which is close enough for him to keep a close eye on my queen and girlfriend.

A few days after the storm, Raffaele moved over to our ship. He's been spending a lot of time with Violetta lately. She has been leaning on him for support and confides in him a lot. Although we had a rocky beginning, and I can’t forget how he tried to kill Sergio and Adelina when they were Daggers, he’s not such a terrible person.

Violetta continues to deteriorate, as we all have in various ways. Her eyes are sunken and her skin is dry and cracked. Although her relationship with Adelina is a little less frosty than when we boarded the ship, I know it bothers Adelina that she isn't as close to her sister as she used to be.

We're supposed to arrive in Beldain today. Everyone is gathered on the main deck, watching the tiny strip of land gradually get larger. I sit next to Adelina, shivering under two cloaks. I have been freezing for days, but yesterday I realized that the traitor Inquisitor we threw overboard would have had some extra warm clothes. When I marched down into the crew's barracks, the crew told me that most of his things had been scavenged by the other Inquisitors, but I made them track down his cloak and give it to me.

“You said the Beldish would meet us here with troops of their own,” Adelina calls out to Raffaele, who is sitting away from us on the main deck with her sister. “I see no Beldish flags on any of the ships on the horizon. Any word from Queen Maeve?”

“She will be here,” Raffaele replies, “but we have to move quickly out of this city.”

“Which city is this?”

“Laida, one of Amadera's most populous port cities.” Raffaele pulls his cloak tighter. Like me, Raffaele comes from one of the warmer parts of the world, and finds this climate to be unbearable. “Rumor has it the Saccorists have a base here and may be waiting for you.”

I frown. Our last brush with the Saccorists was in Dumor; luckily, the arrow that hit her only cut her arm. It could have been worse, had Sergio not suspected danger and acted quickly.

Adelina weaves an illusion of disguise over her face. “They may have trouble finding me,” she says.

“Do not underestimate your enemies, Your Majesty,” he replies.

Adelina's face reflects suspicion and irritation. “Is that a threat, Raffaele?”

He looks at her seriously. “You are looking for conflict in the wrong places, Your Majesty.”

I place my hand on her arm, hoping to calm her. We don’t need to fight against each other, no matter what our pasts. Adelina's voices have been acting up again, even though her illusions initially calmed somewhat after we started sharing a cabin.

The port city looks like just about every other port I've been in before, although with a northern touch. Dozens of ships from all over the world are berthed here, sporting colorful banners hanging from their masts. Sea birds fly overhead, and the pier smells like fish. Adelina weaves an illusion of the Amaderan crest over our banners.

Our ships pull up to the pier, and I observe the sights on the shore. The people here look different than most of the people on board our ship. Most of them have pale skin and freckles, are stouter, and are covered in furs instead of cottons, linens, and silks. I certainly stand out with my brown skin. Adelina weaves an illusion of disguise over most of us.

“Leave the others,” I whisper to Adelina after we load our supplies onto a horse. If the Saccorists are here, we don't want to attract any unwanted attention. A retinue of guards wouldn't help us blend in. “We'll go from here to find Queen Maeve.”

“We go alone,” she nods in agreement.

I walk on one side of her, while Teren walks on her other side. Adelina's jaw looks tense, and her eyes flit around. She must hear the voices again, despite drinking the tea I made her this morning. I put my hand on my shoulder, trying to calm her, but I don't know how much it will help.

In front of us, Violetta walks beside Raffaele, but she doesn't have the energy to walk for long. Along the wharf, there is a shop selling horses, and we buy one for her. Raffaele helps her mount. She can barely hold on to the horse, but this is the best we can do for her right now.

As we leave the docks and get closer to the center of the city, the smells of fish seem to fade, and are replaced by the smells of something delicious. I can smell bacon and eggs cooking, along with another smell that I can’t exactly place. My stomach rumbles in response. “Do you smell that?” I ask. We ate earlier this morning, but our supplies have been reduced to stale bread and dried meat lately, and I'm ready for something different.

“It smells like breakfast,” Adelina replies. “Something we could use a bit more of.”

I look at her and smile. Her smile back at me quickly melts into an expression of horror. She gasps and looks away from me.

“Are you all right?” I whisper. She turns towards me again, and her face relaxes.

“Don't worry,” she says. “I'm just impatient to find the Beldish.”

I know she's lying and is trying to protect me, but I don't say anything. She often puts on a brave face, downplaying her illusions when she's really not okay.

Raffaele slows down until he is walking beside us. “Your illusions. Disguising us. It is exhausting you, isn't it?”

Adelina has a strained look on her face. “I'll be fine,” she mutters.

“We are close enough to the origin that I can feel its slight pull. Remember, everything is connected to everything else,” Raffaele warns, shaking his head. “Its energy will disturb all of ours. Be careful.”

“Maybe we should forego breakfast,” I suggest. “We need to get out of here more than we need to fill our bellies.”

Raffaele nods, and my thoughts drift with longing towards the scents that become fainter as we continue to walk down the main road.

After a while, we turn down a narrow path towards a tavern. As we pass a nearby alley, I think I see something. I stiffen and look down it. Something doesn't feel right.

“Did you see something?” Adelina asks.

I nod. “A flash of silver. Like a mask.” Her face reflects the concern I’m feeling.

Raffaele stops. Up ahead of us, several people stand, blocking the walkway. They are looking at us with suspicion. A man with tan skin steps forward—he is definitely not native to the Skylands. The man holds up a knife. “So,” he begins, flashing bright white teeth, “A foreign troupe heading through our territory.”

“We want no trouble, sir,” Adelina says. Although her voice is even and she doesn’t project fear, I sense a nervousness in her energy.

The man nods. “Where are you from?” He narrows his eyes slightly.

I can sense Adelina's discomfort. Attempting to diffuse the situation, I beam at the man with my most radiant smile. “From a much friendlier place than this town, I can tell you that.” “Do you greet all the foreigners passing through with knives? That must take up an awful lot of your time.”

The man scowls. Raffaele steps beside me. “We have a friend who is very ill,” he says, pointing to Violetta. “Can you tell us where the nearest inn might be?”

People are gathering behind us, blocking the exit. There seems to be no way to avoid a confrontation at this point. Adelina's fear seeps through me like a cold mist. When I look over at her, the illusion over her face wavers for an instant, giving us away.

“They said that you'd be in disguise, White Wolf,” the man says, narrowing his eyes. “We know you are Queen Adelina of Kenettra.”

She feigns innocence. “What? We're from Dumor to—”

“Dumor,” the man barks a laugh. “You mean one of your puppet states.”

I pull out two of my daggers. My pupils narrow. On the other side of Raffaele, Teren unsheathes his weapon.

“Let us pass,” Adelina commands, “and we will spare the lives of your men.”

The man continues to portray a calm exterior. “For the Sealands,” he whispers. “For the Sunlands.” He nods, and the crowd of people around us press inward.

I lunge towards one of our attackers, opening up his belly before he knows what's happening. His intestines ooze out of his abdomen, emanating a foul smell. Ahead of me, Teren attacks some of the people blocking our way, creating a path for us.

“Move!” Raffaele exclaims. I walk backwards in their direction, attempting to guard their backs, but our attackers are numerous. I lunge at a man who attempts to rush at Adelina. Before he realizes what is happening, I stab him in the side and slit his throat.

Two other men approach Violetta, who is leaning against the wall, shaking. I jump towards them, twisting, and slash one of their throats, then catch the other one's chest with my other hand. They fall, but there are so many enemies here, I immediately see another attacker. He is quickly disemboweled.

I glance behind me and notice that Raffaele is no longer standing. This can't be good. I turn back to the enemies in front of me and continue to fight as hard as I can, but I don't know if I'll be able to fend off all these people for much longer.

The whir of arrows sailing overhead is our salvation. I lunge at another attacker when I see his face turn from determination to fear and defeat. The others around him have the same reaction. One of the attackers next to me collapses with an arrow stuck in his chest. Maeve and her soldiers have finally arrived.

I laugh with joy and leap into the air, landing on a sign dangling in front of a nearby milliner’s shop. I throw a dagger at one of our attackers, hitting him straight in the heart.

The Saccorists retreat. In almost no time, they have melted away almost as quickly as they appeared, although plenty of them are left at our feet, fallen in defeat.

Adelina lifts her illusions. She looks exhausted. Beside her, Raffaele is on the verge of collapse. I rush to his side and hold his limp body. For a moment, I think he may need to share our horse with Violetta, but then I look around and realize our horse is no longer there; he must have bolted at some point during the fight. I guess I’ll have to support Raffaele until he can regain his strength.

Adelina is standing next to the wall where Violetta had been, but now she is standing, supported by her sister. Teren is cut up and bloody; his wounds aren’t healing as fast as they used to. He picks up Violetta and puts her on his back.

“We have an encampment,” Maeve shouts down from her position on the roof. “You all look like you could us a rest.” She looks over at Adelina warily for a moment, then nods in the direction of the city's outskirts. “My men will lead us there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! There are only six more chapters in this section of the story. I hope to have them out before NaNoWriMo, but after that, I'm going to have to write part 3. That probably won't get done until next year, because for NaNoWriMo I'm writing an original story about a girl who was captured during a war and forced to work for the enemy's princess, but when she overhears they plan on killing her, she runs off with a grey ace duke and gets shipwrecked on a deserted island. I'm not abandoning this project, but my original stories have to come first.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!


	26. Violetta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you've read the original story, you probably know what happens here. This chapter is sad. Don't worry, it's okay in the end for this character, even in canon.

I haven’t been as happy as I am now, seeing Queen Maeve and her men, in days. I do my best to hide it from Adelina, but the nearness to the Dark of Night is affecting me, just like it is everybody else. It's stealing my joy. I hate it. It doesn’t help Adelina either, because when I'm not feeling joy, I have none to give to her. She seems to need it, especially now. Her illusions bother her more and more every day. Sometimes she’ll stare at nothing or talk to the air. When I ask her about it, she says it’s nothing, of course.

We follow Maeve’s soldiers. We can’t walk as quickly as we did earlier in the day; I continue to support Raffaele, while Teren carries Violetta. On the outskirts of Laida, we stop to rest.

The encampment brings a wave of relief to my spirit. The sheepskin tents are lit by torches, reflecting the white snow. I didn't realize up until now how tired I've gotten. So much has happened today. I stifle a yawn.

Adelina talks to Queen Maeve on the other side of the camp. They’re wary of each other, although I don't blame them. They’re probably both concerned that the other will try to invade the other's territory someday. I don't concern myself with those things. I don't particularly care, although I know that conquering territory makes Adelina happy. Maybe it’s just because she was looking for Violetta though.

Teren puts Violetta on a cot in one of the tents and steps outside. He walks away from the tents and kneels in the snow.

I watch him pray for a while, then go visit him. “Don't you want to come inside?” I ask.

“No. I need to pray.”

“You can pray where it's warm,” I say. Tiny crystals of ice have settled on his cloak and in his hair.

“The gods will listen to me more if I sacrifice my comfort,” he replies.

I shake my head. “If you get frostbite, you're not going to be of much use to the gods.”

He glares at me.

I shrug. “Suit yourself.” I approach a cluster of Maeve's guards. “Keep an eye out on him,” I whisper, nodding in his direction. “We can't have him dying on us.”

They nod and edge a little closer to him.

Adelina is by herself now, looking thoughtful. I smile and put my cloak around her shoulders. “I can't talk him into getting inside a tent,” I state, glancing in Teren's direction.

She puts her hand on my arm. “Let him stay. He will talk to the gods until he feels comforted.”

I sigh. “I've told Maeve's men to keep an eye on him. Let's not have come all this way only to lose him to frostbite.”

We walk into the main tent together. Violetta looks paler than ever. Her forehead is covered with beads of sweat. I'm worried about her. She’s so much weaker than she was when we were on the ship, if that is even possible.

Lucent is sitting in a corner, wrapping her arm in a cloth. She must have injured it today during the fight. I wonder if her bones will completely heal after we give up our abilities. Maeve is turned towards her.

“Snow is coming from the north,” Maeve announces. “The longer we stay here, the more we'll risk having our routes cut off. The snow breakers are already heading up to the ranges.”

“Snow breakers?” I ask. Having never been this far north before, I don't know much about what it takes to live in a climate this icy.

“Men who are sent up to the snow packs,” she explains. “They break up the snow into small, controlled avalanches in order to prevent larger ones. You probably saw the in town, with their ice picks.” Maeve turns to Raffaele. “Messenger. Are you feeling well now?”

“Better,” he replies.

“What happened?” Adelina asks. “We saw you freeze—you crumbled to your knees.”

“The energy around me was overwhelming,’ he explains. “The world became a blur. I couldn't think, and I couldn't breathe.” I sense fear in his energy, but like the rest of us, he wants to carry on like everything is fine. “Not to worry. I'm well enough.”

“It seems you stumbled across our traveling band at exactly the right time,” I say.

Lucent pushes herself up, wincing. “We should all get some rest, then,” she mutters. As she passes Maeve to leave the tent, I sense sadness. Maeve and her soldiers follow behind her.

Raffaele sits down. “Your sister is growing weaker,” he observes. “Our nearness to the origin of Laetes's fall has intensified our connections to the gods, and it is ravaging her body. She will not last much longer.”

Adelina looks at her sister. Her eyes are downcast. “Give me a moment with her,” she says, looking between me and Raffaele.

I squeeze her hand and head out the tent door. Raffaele follows behind several moments later.

Raffaele stands next to me outside the tent. “I don't know if she's going to make it,” he says.

I nod. “I know.” I glance at the tent entrance, listening to their muffled voices. “It's going to be hard on Adelina if she dies. I know she's going to have regrets.” I sigh. “It was Adelina that chased her off, during a hallucination, but she really took Violetta's leaving hard. That was one of the reasons why she kept conquering territory. She was trying to find her sister.”

Raffaele stares out into the forest, where Teren is still kneeling in the snow, praying. “Perhaps I was too hard on Adelina. I kept telling Violetta that her sister was beyond help.” He looks up at me. “She's not beyond help, is she?”

“I don't think so.” I look up at the sky; clouds are covering the stars. I know they would look different from this part of the world; I long to see them. They remind me of the time I spent with Adelina looking at the constellations after leaving Campagnia. The first night I kissed her. “She hasn't had it easy. I know she tries, but the voices in her head continue to try to push her into darkness. They're worse here than ever.”

“Part of me wishes I hadn't been so wary of her. I don't know. There's a darkness inside of her that I don't trust. But Violetta has always been important to her.”

We stand there, looking into the forest, for a while. A chill runs through me, making me shiver. I suppose I can go back inside the tent so I can get some rest now.

I quietly open the tent flap and duck inside. Adelina is focused on her sister. I give them their space. I don't know how many more evenings they will have together like this. There's been so much wasted time. I want them to enjoy the time they have left. I find a nearby cot and lie down on it, and quickly drift off to sleep.

The next morning, the clouds are darker than ever. It's freezing, even though I'm sitting in front of a warm fire, and I feel miserable. Adelina and her sister sit next to me. Violetta is shivering under a pile of furs; I don’t even know if she's conscious. This trip can’t end soon enough for my tastes.

I look up at the cloudy sky and feel hopeless. “At this rate, we won't see blue sky again until we leave this place,” I moan. “What I wouldn't give for a little Merroutas warmth and gaiety.” The food was a lot better too. I'm getting tired of dried meat and stale bread. I look at my breakfast with disdain.

Maeve rides up to our fire with her riders. “The paths are covered with ice, but they are otherwise clear,” she announces. “The snow breakers have already been through.”

I'm reluctant to leave the fire, but I'm also glad to get this trip done with. I help Adelina and Raffaele strap Violetta onto a stretcher, which we have a couple of Maeve's horses pull. Violetta is murmuring something in her daze, but I can't understand what she's saying. I hope she can make it. I hope if she does live through this ordeal, she'll recover as soon as we restore the imbalance to the world.

Adelina gives her sister a worried look. I need to be strong for her; she's already on the verge of madness as it is. She had another nightmare last night. I woke her up from the floor next to Violetta's bed. When I went to sleep, she had been resting her head against her sister's bed, but at some point, she started thrashing around in one of her recurring nightmares.

I put my hand on her arm. “She'll make it,” I say, trying to project as much confidence in my statement as I can.

We walk all day, and eventually the pass narrows and becomes something like a wind tunnel. The air blows through my clothes and chills my core. Once again, I inwardly curse the gods for not placing the Dark of Night in some place warm.

I sigh, looking up at the sky. “Is it just me, or is the sky turning darker? The clouds aren't growing any thicker—it just seems as if the day were passing more rapidly than it should.”

Adelina nods.

We walk for what feels like days in the dark light, but it's probably more like hours. I'm exhausted and miserable, but I try to keep my thoughts away from Adelina. She has enough to worry about. Her sister isn’t doing any better than she was yesterday. Despite my assurances to her earlier, I really don't know if Violetta can make it.

When night falls, our camping spot is somewhat sheltered from the elements, but the winds are stronger than anybody would like.

We all gather around Raffaele, who tells us that we're getting close to our destination, and that the laws of the world that we know might bend and stretch here. He looks around at us all. “I can feel the pull of this place. Can you?”

We all nod. I don't think that I'm as miserable as I am just because it's cold. Adelina's illusions are bothering her more than I’ve ever seen them before, and everybody else is also affected in one way or another.

Teren is away from the group, sharpening his knives. Adelina goes to talk to the guards, probably to make sure that they are extra vigilant in watching over him. He'll want to spend some time praying to his gods tonight again.

I lay down next to Adelina and press up against her for warmth. Well, not just for the warmth, but that happens to be an added benefit of sleeping so close to her. Violetta is not far from us, murmuring something in a fevered dream. I'm not too religious, having spent far too much time living in the temples as a child, but I say a prayer for her before drifting off to sleep anyway.

When I wake up the next morning, my braids are covered with snow, and it seems like dawn hasn't even arrived. I wonder if I will ever see the light of day again. Adelina is already up, trying to rouse her sister, a frantic look on her face. I wonder if Violetta didn't make it through the night.

“Violetta!” she shouts. Her face is contorted in anguish.

Raffaele is already at her side. He’s trying to revive her, without any luck.

Adelina turns to Maeve. “Your Majesty,” she says respectfully. “You align with Moritas. You can call her back, if needed.” She looks over at Raffaele. “Wake her.”

I am at her side now. I don't like to see her like this. She’s not herself. I'm afraid she might snap.

“Adelina,” I say gently. She doesn't respond. Darkness grows in her energy. “Adelina,” I repeat, grasping her hand.

“She's gone,” Maeve says, bowing her head.

“Then bring her back!” Adelina barks, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. Her darkness continues to build. “I have _seen_ you do it.”

“I cannot,” Maeve replies.

“Lies! We need her. We cannot enter the Dark of Night without her. I—”

She looks over at Teren, who is looking up into the sky, probably praying. She turns toward him. “You!” she accuses. “This is your doing.” Adelina is not thinking clearly. I'm going to have to stop her. Her energy is turning blacker and blacker.

Teren looks at Adelina calmly.

“Adelina,” I say again, trying once again to get her attention and break her out of her darkness. She begins to cast illusions at Teren, who responds by unsheathing his sword. Adelina takes her dagger out. They are going to kill each other.

I place myself between them. I have to stop her. She doesn't know what she's doing at this moment. “Adelina, stop!” I shout.

“Get. Out. Of my way,” she says through gritted teeth. She shoots illusions at me, but I sense her energy and mimic it; instead of fighting back, I push her illusions away harmlessly.

“Adelina, stop!” I walk closer to her. A glimmer of recognition flickers on her face. When I reach her, I wrap my arms around her. Her breathing is heavy, but begins to slow. Her heart thumps hard against my chest.

“He didn't kill her,” I whisper. “Stop, stop.” I pull her closer to me and stroke her hair.

Her energy calms. It is replaced with sadness; she begins to cry. Exhausted, she pulls away from me and kneels down into the snow next to her sister's body. She picks her up, cradling her body in her arms. I'm helpless to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	27. Leaving the Realm of the Known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The travelers reach the Dark of Night.

Adelina eventually releases her sister's dead body, lowering it gently to the ground. She stands and faces me, tears streaming down her face. I embrace her quickly, then release her to let her grieve.

“We can't even bury her properly,” she sniffs. “If we were in Kenettra, we would have her cremated, and then we would put her ashes in the catacombs underneath the city.”

I run my hand over her hair. “She would understand. She knows you wanted the best for her.”

Her eyes are brimmed with tears. I want to wipe them away before they freeze on her cheeks. “Did I want the best for her when I chased her off with a knife?”

“Were you in your right mind then? No. You were having one of your hallucinations. Violetta knew this. That's why she never gave up on you, even though she felt she had to leave.”

She glances at me incredulously. I wish I could ease her feelings of guilt, but there’s nothing I can do.

We carry her body a short way from the main path, then lay her down. Adelina places Violetta’s cloak over her and bends down to smooth down her hair one last time. We all bring stones to cover Violetta's body.

After her body is covered, we stand around, looking at the mound. We all grieve in our own ways. Teren says a prayer; I ponder about what happens after we die.

“What do we do now, Messenger?” Maeve asks, after we have stood there silently for a while. “We've lost her. Is all this futile?”

That's probably a question in the back of all our minds. We no longer have all the alignments needed to enter the realm of the gods. How can we repair the rift in the world now?

“We continue on,” Raffaele replies, after a long silence. We've already come this far. It would be pointless to turn back. The world around us will continue to die if nothing is done. Maybe our quest is hopeless, but we have to try.

Adelina kneels in the snow and cuts a lock of hair from her sister's head. The soldiers pile more rocks on top of Violetta's body. I help her up, then put my arm around Adelina's back and let her cry.

“We need to go,” Maeve says solemnly. Adelina looks back as we get on our horses. As we ride on, Adelina repeatedly turns around, as if trying to keep her sister as long as possible, until we’ve gone so far that Violetta's grave can no longer be seen.

We plod along in the dark and the snow for several more days, mostly in silence. Heaviness fills my heart as the weight of the origin of the gods tugs on my spirit. Raffaele takes the lead as he guides us to our destination.

One day, we reach a huge, gaping cave. The outside of the cave is surrounded by jagged rocks and snow; the inside is completely dark. The energy coming from inside the cave is overpowering.

The horses balk at walking any further. “We have to go alone,” Maeve says. “My men, they cannot follow us this way.”

I turn towards Maeve's soldiers as I dismount. Many look pale and weak. Others look frightened, even though they are battle-hardened veterans. A mere mortal without elite abilities would have no chance inside.

Maeve hands the reins to her horse to one of the soldiers. “Take them back with you,” she says.

“You will be left in a frozen wasteland,” one of the soldiers replies. “You—you are the Queen of Beldain. How will you make it back?”

“We will find our own way,” she replies, a look of hard determination on her face. “If you join us, you will not survive. This is not a request. This is a command.”

The soldier bows his head, hesitant to depart, even after being given a command by his queen. Adelina watches the exchange with curiosity and uneasiness.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the soldier finally says. “We’ll wait for you at the bottom of the pass. We will not leave until we see you return. Do not ask us to leave you entirely, Your Majesty.”

“Very well,” she finally replies.

The soldiers salute, then turn their horses around, taking the ones we were riding with them. I glance over at Adelina as we watch them. Her face is downcast. I move to stand a little closer to her, hoping to provide her with some comfort. I can’t imagine what she must be thinking, although I’m sure her voices are stronger than they’ve ever been, even with my tea.

Maeve walks down the pathway with her soldiers for a bit, and then turns back to join us. When we turn to the cave, we take deep breaths, worried about what might happen when we enter.

We can't stand here all day. Teren draws a knife, I take out one of my daggers, and Lucent also unsheathes her weapon. There's nothing to do now except walk.

Inside, the cave is cold and quiet, like a tomb in winter. Teren's sword softly scrapes along the ground, guiding him against the walls of the cave. The only other sounds are the echoes of the others’ footsteps.

Next to me, Adelina’s breathing is labored, as if she is in the beginning stages of a panic attack. She told me before about her fear of blindness, since she only has one good eye left. I reach out for her hand, and she jumps.

“You're all right,” I whisper. Although my voice is only a whisper, it sounds like a scream in this quiet cave. “You're all right, you're all right.” Her breath calms.

Eventually, our eyes adjust to the darkness. Little ice-blue specks twinkle around the cave. They’re even more beautiful than the faery moss that lines the hidden chamber in the bathhouse. I smile thinking about that. Once we return, I hope to take Adelina there again.

“Ice faeries,” Raffaele says. “Tiny creatures of the north. They must have awoken at the ripple of our movement in the air. I have seen them described in the accounts of priests on their pilgrimages here. This is the place that travelers worship as the Dark of Night, but they go no farther.”

The glow from the ice faeries lights our path, providing us with direction. As the minutes and hours pass, we press on, and I continue to be dazzled by their beauty.

After walking for quite some time, a chilly breeze blows across my face. It starts as light as a breath, but gradually gets stronger. We must be reaching the end of the cave. As we turn a corner, we finally see an exit.

In front of us we see a world of snow, untouched by the presence of humans. It is utterly indescribable. Magical. The Dark of Night. How are we going to enter without Violetta's alignment to empathy?

The energy in front of us is overpowering. Even as an Elite, I feel inadequate standing here. I want to kneel in reverence, even though the gods and I have had something of an antagonistic past, given my time in the temple. What would happen if I dared to step through? I know I'm going to have to find out, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid, even while, at the same time, the energy calls to me.

Raffaele holds his hand out, as if tentatively trying to reach into this magical world. He turns to face us. “We are already ghosts,” he whispers.

If we don't step through, if we don't try to enter, the world will be doomed anyway. We have to try.

Raffaele takes a deep breath. Teren looks forward with resolve. Maeve and Lucent stand together, drawing comfort from each other.

I take Adelina's hand. Her face is pale. I try to smile at her and look brave; I try to strengthen her. I don’t know if I’m succeeding or not, because I don’t feel brave or strong myself.

Raffaele takes the first step. The rest of us follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! Thanks for reading.


	28. The Dark of Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remaining Elites enter the Dark of Night and battle their way to the origin.

After I take that step, unsure of what is about to happen, I let out my breath. I'm still okay; Adelina is next to me, unharmed, still holding my hand.

We’re surrounded by an untouched world covered with miles of snow and forest. It’s indescribably beautiful. Three moons hang in the air above us, and they feel so close, I almost reach up and try to grab one. The stars glisten in the sky, brighter than I've ever seen in my life. There are stars there I don’t think I've ever seen before. This place is like where the realm of the gods meets the realm of mortality.

“Gods,” I gasp. After I left the temple of Domacca when I was eleven, I haven't really been very pious. Maybe that was wrong of me, but I didn't want to have much to do with the gods after the way I was treated there. This place almost makes me regret that. I’m awed by the shadow of their presence that I feel here.

I’m not the only one awed by this place. All around me, the other Elites are staring at our surroundings. Tears stream down Teren’s face, and his mouth is agape. Adelina stares in amazement. Raffaele’s face shines, ecstasy appearing on his face.

Somehow, the gods allowed us entrance into this otherworldly realm after all.

After a few moments of taking it all in, we take tentative steps forward, destroying the pristine smoothness of the land as we crunch tracks in the snow. The origin pulses through my veins, calling me. The cold seeps into my bones as I walk. It won't be long now until we can end this.

Adelina grabs my arm. “There is something in the forest,” she whispers.

I frown, studying the forest to see if I can see what she’s talking about. All I see are trees.

She stops, and I turn towards her. Her eyes are wide and fearful, like she's seen a ghost.

“What is it?” I ask.

She just stands there, petrified. Her face pales as she grows more and more horrified. I don't know what she's seeing, but I don’t think I've ever seen her more frightened before.

She falls backward and gasps. I reach out to catch her.

“Adelina!” I shout, my heartbeat galloping. “What's happening? What are you seeing?”

“I see everyone,” she cries. “Enzo. Gemma. My father. My sister. They're all here, Magiano. Oh, gods, I can't do this. I can't go on.” Her knees buckle, and she sinks down into the snow. I bend down with her, wrapping my arms around her, trying to comfort her. She continues to look beyond me, a horrified expression on her face.

I rub her back. “Don't make me go in there,” she whispers, holding on to me.

Raffaele approaches and takes one of her hands. He uses his energy to reach into her emotions, trying to calm her. Slowly, Adelina relaxes. She turns her head to face Raffaele.

“Breathe, mi Adelinetta,” he says quietly and calmly. “Breathe.”

She leans into me. Her energy slowly calms, and Raffaele lets go of her hand.

She looks at me. “I'm all right.” Part of me knows she's just trying to convince herself. “The energy here overwhelms me.”

Raffaele nods. He looks drained. “It pulls at me too,” he says softly. “In a million different directions. This is not an easy place to be, a realm between us and the gods.”

Lucent and Maeve walk over to us. Lucent takes Adelina's hand and helps her stand back up.

“Your sister,” Maeve says. “You said you saw her back there, as an illusion. A ghost of the dead.”

“Yes,” she whispers, her voice hoarse.

“So that is why,” Maeve says softly, “of course.” She looks at Raffaele. “You said that all of our alignments to the gods must be in the immortal realm in order for us to be here. We were able to enter without Violetta's alignment.”

Raffaele nods. “Because her soul is already _in_ the immortal world. In the Underworld.”

Adelina seems to brighten, just a little.

“We can't be far,” Maeve says. “The pulse keeps getting stronger.” She turns and continues to walk, expecting us to follow.

Adelina and I continue after them. I hold onto her hand, hoping I can comfort her.

Eventually, a blue-white light starts to shine through the trees. It starts dimly at first, but brightens as we approach. We reach a clearing at the edge of a valley. There we see it.

The origin.

The energy emanating from the origin hits me like a gust of wind. It is so intense it hurts. I clutch my head in pain. Adelina gasps. Somehow, we have to get there.

Adelina moves closer to me, touching my arm.

In the corner of my eye, I see something. At first I think that Adelina might be creating an illusion, but I don't feel the movement in her energy that I normally do when that happens. As I turn to the movement, I see what it is. What they are. Hideous creatures, like a monster a parent might try to use to frighten their children into behaving.

“What is that?” Teren asks, unsheathing his sword.

One of these creatures emerges from the forest. It is a black, ugly thing. Where eyes normally would be, there are only empty sockets. Its fangs make slobbery clicking sounds that make me shudder. It skitters as it glides over the snow.

Another creature comes behind the first. Then another.

“They are drawn to our energy,” Raffaele whispers.

They radiate an awful energy, like Enzo’s did after he returned from the dead. Like that of the Underworld.

Even more of these creatures appear. They now seem to be all over the place. Surrounding us.

Without thinking, I begin to run.

The creatures chase us, clacking and clicking as they move. Their horrible sounds grow louder as they begin to catch up to us.

Maeve turns around and slashes at one that caught up to her. The creature screams, an otherworldly cry that grates on my insides. As she impales the creature, Adelina winces, as if she was being cut herself. Somehow, their shared alignment to the Underworld must cause her to feel some of its pain.

After she deals with the creature, Maeve implores us to continue on. We run as fast as our already taxed, overwhelmed bodies can take us.

Another creature is behind us. I spin around, grab two daggers in the process, and stab its face. The monster collapses. I pull my blades out, ignoring its screams, turn back around, and begin to run again.

One of the creatures almost reaches Raffaele. Adelina shouts in warning to him, and Raffaele jumps to the side, just in time to see the creature impale a fang into a tree trunk. Teren, behind them, draws his sword and uses his immense strength to nearly slice the creature in half.

Raffaele stands still for a moment, staring straight ahead, breathing heavily, paralyzed with fear.

“Move,” Teren warns. “Don't make me save you again.”

Raffaele breaks out of his paralysis and continues to run.

Another creature barrels in front of us. Adelina stares at it for a moment. She turns to Raffaele with a changed expression. One of hatred. Threatening.

“No, Adelina!” Lucent cries.

The creature lunges at Adelina. Lucent stops it, impaling it with her blade.

Adelina wakes up from whatever illusion had been haunting her, turns back to the source of the bright light, and continues to run.

When we finally get to the origin, we’re confronted by a swarm of creatures that surround it. After just a moment’s hesitation, Teren charges them, blade held aloft, eyes crazed. The creatures surround him, but he fights like crazy, swinging his sword with a bloodlust I’ve never seen in any fighter before. Adelina fights off the creatures with her illusions, and Maeve and I fight with our own weapons.

Everything happens so suddenly that I can't remember whose blade hit which creature, or how many creatures are felled. During the frenzied battle, I channeled some of Teren's energy to strengthen me. All I know is feeling that we need to get past this; we need to get to the origin.

Then I see Teren, collapsed on the snow.

Time slows. It feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach.

Maeve and I roll him onto his back. His breathing is shallow, and his eyes look as if his soul is already fading away from this world. Even though his wounds from the fight are healing, they are not healing quickly enough.

“Now I am forgiven,” he whispers, his ice blue eyes staring into the sky beyond us. As I look at him, I realize that he’s leaving this world exactly how he’d want to.

Adelina has tears in her eyes. I know how much she hated Teren. At their first meeting, he tried to have her killed. He tried to blackmail her, forcing her to reveal secrets about the Daggers. In return, she had him locked away in a prison for over a year. I know that there’s no love lost between the two of them. Yet, she still mourns for him.

I grab Adelina's arm, turning her towards the origin. More creatures are emerging from the forest, trying to stop us. We need to keep running.

When we reach the light, I take a deep breath. I don't know what waits for me on the other side, but I step inside anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Only three more chapters until part 2 is up. Then you'll have to wait a while as I finish part three. Hopefully it won't take too long.


	29. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Elites enter the realm of the gods and give up their powers. When they return to the mortal realm, Magiano discovers something horrifying.

My entire being is filled with energy. Not in the same way that I'd been filled with the pull of the energy as we neared the Origin—this is an energy that comes from all the gods, and at first, it's unimaginably overpowering. My mind can't concentrate on anything else; it feels like I'm being pulled apart from the inside, and I’m going to shatter into a million pieces.

As I adjust to the energy’s intensity, I'm able to focus on my surroundings. The sky and sea surround me. The sky stretches on into an infinite heaven, and the sea is so deep, I can feel how it reaches deep, deep down into the Underworld. Although I have no previous experience with the Underworld, I can tell that this is what it is. It reminds me faintly of Adelina.

As I acclimate to my surroundings, I notice Adelina standing by my side. Raffaele, Maeve, and Lucent are on her other side. I shiver from the cold. It digs deep into my soul, more than the chill of the Dark of Night and the treacherous paths in the mortal world that took us here combined.

The sea beneath me is unlike any other I have experienced in my life. It’s darker than the stormiest sea I’ve ever experienced, yet the water is smoother than polished glass. It’s clearer than any sea I have ever seen, even more than the tropical seas I sailed near the Sunlands.

I’m in awe of this place, this eternal world of the gods. An overwhelming feeling sweeps over me, telling me I don't belong here.

As if on cue, a voice whispers to me. _Magiano. You do not belong here. You are from the world of the living_.

A pale figure approaches us, walking on the surface of the glassy sea. It’s a woman with black hair so long that the strands reach to the end of the horizon. The energy she gives off reminds me a little of Adelina, and slightly of Violetta.

She is the angel of Fear. Formidite.

I bow to her, but the gesture feels so inadequate. What should you do when you are in the presence of a goddess? I shiver with fear. What if she punishes me for escaping from the temple when I was a child?

_Do not fear, Magiano. The gods never asked for or wanted child sacrifice._ I let out a breath.

“Holy Formidite,” Raffaele says, breaking the reverent silence. “Gatekeeper to the Underworld.”

“Most majestic Formidite,” I say quietly, quivering.

_Return to the mortal world_. Her words are spoken into my heart, not aloud.

“We are here to save those like ourselves,” Raffaele continues. I’m glad he's acting as a spokesman for the group, because I don't think I could.

Formidite inspects us, one by one. She seems to take a special interest in Maeve, who has brought people back from the Underworld before, and Adelina, whose illusions spark out of control at her touch. I shiver as her glance passes over me.

I become aware of the cries of creatures calling from somewhere deep in the depths, similar to the dying baliras we’ve been encountering for the last several months. As these creatures approach, their energy stirs. It feels like another part of Adelina, the part of her that aligns with Fury. Caldora, Formidite's twin angel, is calling us.

I'm sucked into the water, and it feels like I'm drowning. My lungs feel like a bull is sitting on my chest. I look around in a panic, but the water around me quickly blackens, so I can't see anything around me. In my heart, Caldora says _follow me_. I follow, fearful of what might lie ahead.

_Maybe I will never return_ , I think, realizing that I am being pulled into the realm of Death itself.

The next thing I realize, I’m in another place. Above me, it looks as if there’s an ocean above me instead of sky. I shiver. It’s as if death is enveloping me.

The land is full of pillars as far as they eye can see. I couldn't even begin to guess how many there were; they seem to stretch on into infinity. Outside of these pillars, which shimmer with a cold, inner white glow, the land is barren and gray.

I approach the nearest pillar and realize there is a person encased inside. It is a woman. Her eyes are closed; it looks like she is peacefully dreaming. As I examine her more carefully, the face looks familiar. It’s one I've tried to forget for many years.

The priest of Mensah. This must be her soul.

My hands ball up into fists. For a fleeting moment, I remember the agony I felt when she tried to remove my markings.

_She's dead now_ , I think. _She'll never hurt anybody again_.

I walk a little further, and I see the Girl of Mensah. The one that was killed the day I escaped. For a moment, I stop breathing. My heart aches. For the longest time, she was my only friend.

I force myself to look away. This part of my life is over, and I can't dwell on it. I look at my hands and realize that I'm glowing with a warm yellow light. It must be the light of my living soul.

Across the landscape, I see four other glowing lights, the brightest colors in this bleak landscape. They must be the lights of the others. They’re a great distance away, so far that I couldn’t reach them if I wanted to.

The land grows darker, colder, if that were at all possible. I feel the approach of death herself.

_Magiano_.

She whispers into my soul. I don't need any introduction; I already realize who this is: Moritas, the goddess of Death.

“Yes,” I reply aloud, although I could probably just think my response.

_You have come to bargain with me. Is that correct, Magiano_?

“Yes. I am willing to give up my power in order to repair the imbalance in the mortal world,” I whisper. “The others are here to do the same.”

_Yes, they are_ , I feel the reply reverberate in the core of my being. _We have been missing your immortal energy in this realm. Step forward, Magiano_.

Ahead of me is a hideous black cloud. If I look hard enough, I could probably see demons and monsters swirling in its mist. I take a deep breath and walk forward, quaking with fear. I continue to walk; my soul feels the tug of the direction that I should go in.

I pass many pillars. I glance up at the faces; most of them are people I’ve never met. Occasionally, I see a face that looks slightly familiar, like a guard I once dealt with, or someone that died in the wars that I fought.

One face makes me gasp.

My mother.

I was seven when she died. I barely remember her, but here she is. I realize how beautiful she must have been. Her eyes are closed, and she looks at peace. I feel an intense longing for her that I haven’t felt since I was a child.

A short distance later, I see my father, who died in the same blood fever, leaving me an orphan. I pause to look at him. He looks so much like me, although slightly older. He looks younger than he did when I last saw him. Perhaps our souls in death reflect our ideal age in life.

I had brothers and sisters, I realize. They were older than me. I don't know why I had blocked that out of my mind. Maybe I wanted to forget them, I think. After all, they did abandon me in the temple. I don’t see them here; they must have all survived.

The shadow beckons me, and I leave my father behind. Eventually, I reach a large black slab which stretches all the way up into the aqueous heavens. This must be the place where the rift in the world took place.

As I take one more step forward, my surroundings morph again. The gods and goddesses appear in front of me. They are ready to take back their powers.

A part of me, the greedy part of me, the ambitious part of me, wants to keep these powers. The joyful part of me realizes it will be better for me, and for the rest of the world, to give them back.

I see the others. They must feel the same hesitation I am. This is why we have come here, however. I must do the right thing.

I uproot the threads of energy that have surrounded my heart for most of my life, and I release them. In its place, I feel emptiness. I know that eventually, the void will close and I will no longer feel its absence, but for now, the absence of my Elite powers feels like a gaping wound.

_Go_ , the gods speak into my soul. _Return to the mortal world_.

I will myself to depart, and I am gone.

A flash of light momentarily blinds me, and my head is pounding. When my sight returns, I see the monsters that surrounded us before we approached the origin. It seems like an eternity ago that I left this place.

The monsters we had been fighting against before entering the realm of the gods stop their approach. They look around, confused, then slowly melt away. The threat we faced earlier is gone.

I look around. I see Maeve, and Raffaele, and Lucent…

“Where is Adelina?” I ask. _What if something happened to her, and she didn't make it back_? I start to panic.

I search the snowdrifts around me. “Adelina!” I cry out. Over to my right, I finally see movement in the snow. I let out a sigh of relief.

She lifts her head. It's not Adelina. It's Violetta.

I give her a hug. “Violetta,” I say. _Did I dream her death_? “What happened? How are you…”

She's alive. Not like Enzo was alive, or Maeve's brother, with the energy of death surrounding them. Violetta is as real and as alive as she was on the day that I met her.

“How are you here?” I ask. “Where's Adelina?”

Violetta stares at me. She doesn't smile. Something is wrong.

“Where's Adelina?” My heart races, fearful of what I might hear, but knowing I can’t put off the truth.

“She made a deal with Moritas,” Violetta says. Her voice is hoarse, as if she is on the verge of tears.

“We all made a deal with Moritas,” I frown. “I was there in the Underworld— _we_ were there, with the gods and goddesses. It was like stripping a layer of my heart.”

Violetta shakes her head. She won't look at me. “No,” she replies. “Adelina traded her _life_.”

It is then that I understand, although I don't want to admit it to myself. Surely there must be some mistake.

Adelina is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	30. Surviving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magiano tries to find a way to survive after his world has been crushed.

What do you do when your heart has been torn out? When it doesn't seem like there's anything worth living for anymore?

You survive.

That's what I did after I returned to the mortal world. I wake up, ride on a horse, sit by a fire, go to bed, and do the same thing the next day. At some point during the day, I eat, but find no joy in it.

I don't know how I will find joy again.

After I escaped from the Temple of Domacca, I promised that I would take joy with me. It was a promise I silently made to the Girl of Mensah after I heard her screams when the priests were sacrificing her. I kept that promise for years. I don't know how to anymore.

Sometimes, I notice Violetta searching the skies at night. I try not to look at her too often though. She reminds me too much of her sister. The sister I will never be able to love again. The one I will never make smile again. The girl I will never watch the stars with or go on an adventure with. We'll never be together again, because she's gone.

Perhaps Adelina's sacrifice was the best thing for her. She loved her sister in a way I’ll never be able to understand. I know how guilty she felt over Violetta's death, over how she drove her out of the palace and missed out on more than a year of the life they could have shared together. If we had given up our powers earlier, maybe Violetta could have been saved. Maybe Adelina wouldn’t have felt that guilt. We'll never know. There are no do-overs in life.

When we get back to the ship, I find another cabin to sleep in. Part of me wants to sleep below decks with the ship's crew; there would be fewer reminders of her that way. Instead, I choose a room at the other end of the hallway and try to occupy my mind with menial tasks like mending sails and cleaning the decks.

I stare out over the calm seas. It's still cold here this far north, but there’s no longer an immortal energy to deal with. Instead, it's been replaced with the coldness that's been creeping into my soul.

“You haven't had anything to eat today,” a voice says from behind me. Raffaele. For some reason, he seems to be interested in my well-being.

“I'm not hungry,” I state flatly.

I turn around and look at him. He's holding a bowl of soup in his hands. “You need to eat.”

I shrug. “I'm not really interested.”

He sits down next to me. “I don't care if you're interested. You're going to eat something whether you like it or not.”

I grab the spoon and take one bite. “There, are you happy?”

Raffaele shakes his head. “Eat all of it. You need the nutrition.”

I sigh and take the bowl of soup from him. He won't leave me alone until I finish. I mechanically shovel the food, which tastes like ashes, into my mouth, then hand the bowl back to him.

“This isn't like you, you know,” he says quietly.

“How do you know? Maybe this is who I am now,” I reply, irritated.

“You're not the only person to lose a good friend, you know.” I realize he was talking about his friend Enzo.

“Well, we all have to deal with things our own way,” I snap. I don't want to be reminded of Enzo. His memory reminds of the days when Adelina was mooning over him like he hung the moons.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and stands up. “I hope you can snap out of this soon.”

I ignore him and continue to stare at the sea.

I have trouble sleeping again. I've forgotten the last time I slept well. It was sometime before we entered the Dark of Night.

Like most nights that I've had trouble sleeping, I sit at the side of the ship, watching the waves. Sometimes I look up at the stars and the constellations. I often fall asleep up here, even though it's colder than in my cabin, and a lot less comfortable.

Violetta sits next to me. I look away. It's not her fault that Adelina is gone, but looking at Violetta serves as a fresh reminder of a wound that still hasn't begun to heal.

“The ship is too still,” I grumble. “I need some waves to sleep properly.” It's a lie, but I don’t really feel like telling the truth.

“I know,” I hear Violetta say. “You are searching for her too.”

I continue to stare at the waves. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away.

“I'm sorry,” she whispers.

“Don't be,” I reply, looking at her sadly. “She chose it.” I don't want Violetta to feel guilt. It's not her fault.

I look back out over the water. My eye wanders into the sky. I look at the constellations, thinking of the night I first kissed Adelina under the stars. My eyes wander to Compasia's Swan.

This constellation is familiar to me. Sometimes when we were out on campaigns, Adelina and I would stand outside and look at the stars together and would gaze upon this particular constellation. She always had a fondness for it. I did too. In a way, it was our constellation.

Tonight, it looks different.

In addition to the stars I normally see, there are seven new stars. They are orange and blue, forming loops near Compasia's Swan.

Adelina.

I look over at Violetta. Tears of joy are already forming in my eyes. Maybe there's hope that I will see her again, after all. After all, as a musician, I know the story of Compasia and her human lover better than most. Some nights, the two do see each other again.

“My goddess made me a promise,” Violetta whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. Thanks for reading!


	31. Time to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life settles back to normal for everyone except Magiano. One day, he gets a message from a god. It's time to leave.

After we return to Kenettra, Violetta takes Adelina's place as queen. Sergio helps her keep the peace as her Lead Inquisitor, and Raffaele makes a splendid advisor. The rest of the former Young Elites stay for a while, except Queen Maeve, who took a ship to Beldain as soon as she could politely leave.

Over time, the markings that made us stand out fade. The first thing I notice is that my eyes don't form slits any more. Raffaele's hair grows out normally, Sergio's eyes turn a warm brown, and the markings on Lucent's arm dissipate. Across the world, the marked begin to look the same as everybody else.

I will always bear the scars on my back, from when the priest tried to peel my flesh away. Even still, they slowly heal, and are no longer sores that constantly break open. I’m thankful for that.

I'm sure I'll never be the same person I was before. You never are the same once you find a love like the love I had with Adelina. Over time, my heart slowly recovers. Raffaele no longer has to force me to eat. Occasionally, I find small moments of joy in my life. Oh, how I long for the joy I once had! I don’t know if I’ll ever have it the same way I used to though.

I spend a lot of time awake at night. In the evenings, I often walk through the gardens, staring up at the sky to look at her stars. It might be a little silly, but sometimes I talk to her. I tell her about what's going on in the palace, how much I miss her, how much I love her. I don't know if she's listening or not, but somehow, it comforts me.

One night, about four months after we get back to Kenettra, I wander the gardens at the palace, like I often do. It was one of my down days, where everything seemed to remind me of Adelina and I sink into a depression; it still happens on occasion.

“Oh, Adelina!” I exclaim. “I wish we could be together. I would do anything to be with you again!”

 _Magiano_. A still voice speaks within my soul.

I know it's not Adelina's voice. I would recognize her anywhere. As long as I live, I will recognize it. It's not Moritas either, the goddess who whispered to me while I was in the immortal world. It's a softer voice.

Compasia.

“Did you call me?” I ask quietly.

 _Magiano, it's time for you to go to Adelina_ , the voice says.

I'm confused.

“How can I go to her?” I ask. “She's stardust.”

 _I will show you the way_.

“If I’m going to see her again, I have one thing I need to do first,” I say.

 _I know what you need to do. Do that, and then be on your way_.

“I will, Holy Compasia.” I don’t know if I should bow or stand or even kneel in her presence, so I compromise and bow my head.

 _You know that I will require something of you in return_.

“Yes, I do.” Nothing from the gods is free. I have a feeling that I know what she’s going to ask, but I don't want to think of it, just yet.

I say goodnight to Adelina, and when I return to my room, sleep better than I have in about a year. The next morning, I speak to the palace's metalsmith.

About six months after returning to Kenettra, it's time to go. I ready a horse with everything I’ll need for my journey. That day, I say goodbye to Sergio and Raffaele. I haven't seen Violetta all day.

She sees me in the gardens at twilight, right before I leave.

Violetta looks beautiful, wearing a simple blue dress. I bow my head when I see her.

“Your Majesty,” I say.

“You can stay, you know,” she says, noticing that I'm wearing my traveling clothes. “There is always a place for you in the palace, and the people love you. If there is something you want, tell me, and it will be yours.”

There’s nothing I want that Violetta can provide. What I want is on the other side of the world.

I laugh and shake my head. I've stayed long enough. “Lucent has already returned to Beldain with her queen. Perhaps it is my turn now.” I smile. “I've always been a wanderer. I grow restless here in the palace, even among such fine company.” If Adelina was here, I’d stay longer, but she's not here to draw me in, to make me stay. “It is time for me to go. There are adventures waiting for me.”

“The others—Raffaele, Sergio—they will want to see you before you leave.”

I nod. “Don't worry. I've said my proper farewells.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You are kind, Your Majesty. I imagine Adelina could have ruled like you, in a different life.” That life is not meant for us anymore. When I return with Adelina, our lives will never be the same. “Adelina would want to see you carry this torch. You will be a good queen.”

Violetta looks down. “I’m afraid,” she admits. “There is still so much broken, and so much to fix. I don't know if I can do this.”

“You have Sergio at your side. You have Raffaele as your advisor. That's quite a formidable team.”

She looks at me curiously. “Where will you go?”

I'm not a hundred percent sure yet, but I know my journey will take me to Domacca first. I will be following Compasia's lead.

I look up into the sky. “I'm going to follow her, of course,” I say. “As the night sky turns. When she appears on the other side of the world, I will be there, and when she returns here, so will I. This farewell is not forever. I will see you again, Violetta.”

She smiles at me and holds me in an embrace. “Until you return then,” she whispers.

“Until I return.”

I let go of her, finish my preparations, and leave before dawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of part 2.
> 
> Part 3 isn't written yet! It's time for me to go until I finish it; at least the first draft. I know how it ends, but I'll need to write the whole thing before I start posting here. Just in case I get several chapters in and realize I have to make some changes to an earlier chapter, like foreshadowing (there already is some foreshadowing in the chapters I've already posted ;-) ).
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll read part 3 when I start posting it. I started writing this book nearly 5 years ago! I've written four novels and two novellas since I started this! So this has been a story that's been on my mind for quite some time.


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